Reluctant Acceptance
by alitablake
Summary: Kyoko is finally with someone who loves her for her.  Yet, her heart is yearning for another.  Will she be able to forget about her one-sided love for Ren to live happily with Hikaru?  Sequel to Misconceptions. Rated M for Language and Limey thoughts.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I do Not own Skip Beat!**

**Hi all! First I would like everyone reading this to know that this a sequel to Misconceptions, my Hikaru/Kyoko challenge. If you don't read that first, you won't know what is going on, or why. **

**It took me so long with dwindling inspiration and other ideas crawling through my mind, but it's finally here. After writing this story, it confirmed one thing for me. **

**I Love Ren. As soon as you read this, you'll all see my biased opinion; HOWEVER, it worked out really well for the story. I do hope you enjoy it. **

**This first chapter is a recap for Misconceptions. If you remember the story or just read it, feel free to skip this, otherwise I thought I would help others remember it since it was posted so long ago. Cheers!**

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><p>Prologue:<p>

_Excerpts from Misconceptions: Chapter 1_

"We are going to go buy one for you. We have time," Kanae said and abruptly stopped midstride. She turned to Kyoko with a deathly glare. "And you are going to tell me EXACTLY WHAT is wrong?"

Kanae didn't give Kyoko the time to lie to her concern. Kyoko didn't know if she could talk about this, not right now. Though, she didn't know if she could ever talk about it. She didn't want to acknowledge it, just like with Reino stating that Corn was probably dead by now. If she said it out loud, it would make it real, something she couldn't take back later.

"I failed," Kyoko sobbed, "I swore to myself, to everyone, that I would never ever let myself feel this way again, but…" Her voice cracked as more tears ran down her face.

"What if he feels the same way you do?" Kanae offered.

Kyoko snorted. "That's a mean joke, Moko-san. There is no way he would feel that way to a lowly newbie actress. I'm not good enough for him," Her voice drifted off dolefully.

"I will not have you talk to my best friend and rival that way!" Kanae said angrily, which made Kyoko smile her first sincere smile since they met up today. Kanae smiled back happy again. "So then the only other thing to do is to move on," she said softly. "Kyoko, you found love again. You found the missing emotion that you have been so desperately trying to find. It's back!" She said encouraging.

Kyoko tried to look happy about it but fell short. Kanae smiled softly at her. "Don't close up again, Kyoko. You just need to find someone who wants you in kind."

_Chapter 2:_

She heard their voices mumble as they spoke to each other casually. She waited for their laughter to spill out of the room like it normally does, but it didn't this time. As she neared the opening of the door, her footsteps slowed and stopped as their voices became clear.

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Yuusei said calmly.

"Yeah, man. You've been asking Kyoko-chan out every week for the past year! Go confess to her, and she will finally say yes," Shinichi spoke making Kyoko gasp soundlessly.

"...If she is simply not ready to date, then it's only a matter of time before she will say yes. Either way, I'm going to wait until she is ready. I don't want to push her into something she doesn't want with a brash confession."

"And you asking her out every week isn't pushy?" Shinichi teased, and they all laughed.

"Hey, I can't give up. What if she says yes? It would suck to miss the opportunity. She has yet to say, 'No, I don't want to date you, because you're too short.'" Hikaru badly mimicked her, making the other two laugh.

Kyoko shook her head. _You're not short, Hikaru-san._

"I didn't know, Hikaru-san. I'm so sorry," she breathed. Their voices and laughter faded away as they left the building, and she deemed it safe to do the same. Her mind was plagued by the recent conversation.

_Hikaru likes me._

"Hikaru-san likes me," Kyoko said out loud. She found herself shaking at the thought of it. Her chest felt like it was about to collapse as she contemplated dating him. She always wanted someone to care of her, so why didn't this feel right?

_Chapter 3:_

"Stupid heart," she mumbled to herself. "Haven't you learned your lesson?" She asked herself, and she felt that muscle start to race. _Nope, I'm a fool. _She continued to stare at Ren's picture and her heart started to trigger memories. People say that the mind is the most powerful thing in the world, that you can wish yourself to die, and you could do so with absolutely nothing wrong with you. Kyoko thought that a lie.

The heart was much more powerful. It caused her to see his face, to hear his laugh, his voice. His scent permeated everything around her, and her hands could still feel the warmth that radiated around her as Ren broke through that last carefully placed lock.

Kyoko may be in love, but she didn't have to be stupid about it like she was with Sho. If she remembered correctly, Ren was here too. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small notepad. Since Yashiro wasn't with the Heel siblings and Cain refused to talk about Ren's schedule, she roughly copied his schedule each week. She flipped through the pages, hiding in the shadows of the building and found today's entry.

Kyoko watched him drink down a water bottle from full to empty in seconds. The perspiration was evident on his skin. She wanted to help him. The desire to wipe the sweat off is chest made her body ache, and she unconsciously took a step forward. She stopped when one of the models came up to talk to him. The girl was gorgeous, with long, dark hair that fell down to the small of her back. She was tiny, about as tall as Kyoko but with a fuller figure and a more mature face. She smiled seductively up at her tall senpai, her teeth perfectly white, shinning between red lips.

Kyoko wanted to hate her. She wanted to storm out in a jealous rage and claim him as hers. Of course, she couldn't. Ren didn't belong to anyone. He was his own man, and he stated that he wasn't interested in anyone dozens of times in interviews and such. He nodded to something she asked, and Kyoko could see her jump on the balls of her feet excitedly. What did he agree to? Was he going to drive her home? To her home or his? Are they going to have dinner first?

Kyoko stepped back, deeper into her hiding spot with tears in her eyes. Is he going to kiss her? They look really cute together. Perhaps they are already seeing each other. Flashes of his smiles and cute puppy dog faces appeared in her mind. The pretty woman appeared into the image leaning up to return his smiles with a kiss. Her arms wrapping around his slim waist as Ren held her in his warm embrace. She violently shook her head trying to erase the image.

"I can't do this," Kyoko whispered quietly to herself and ran to the door.

_Chapter 4:_

It was over before it even began. Kyoko wanted to rant and scream at someone, but she only had herself to blame. Neither man asked for her love. Neither did anything special with her or treated her any differently from other woman. They were just apart of her life like Maria was or the Daruma-ya couple. It was her brainless heart that decided to fall in love with them. She can't be angry at them if they never wanted her love to begin with.

She sighed and forced her eyes away only to land on another picture. It was of her and the Ishibashis after the show. Kyoko thought she looked horrible in it, forced to take a picture after sweating in the Bo suit for an hour and a half. No one seemed to mind, the three of them huddling around her, grinning like idiots. She smiled softly and lifted the picture, her mind focusing on a certain man in it.

_Hikaru likes me._

She stepped back and sat before her little table. She set the picture frame down in the middle and rested her chin on her forearms. She stared at it, at him. He looked like his normal self, smiling brightly with laughter in his eyes. He had his arm around Shinichi but hovered around Kyoko more than the other two Ishibashis. She let her mind wonder at the thought of him.

Kyoko looked over the picture once more and something inside of her clicked. She realized what she was doing to poor Hikaru. He was in the same boat she was in, forced to live in a one-sided love. Every week, he had to endure seeing her, taking his heart out and letting her rip it apart every time she unknowingly rejected him. She hated this heart wrenching feeling, and if she could help her friend overcome that then she will do whatever she can. She didn't know how she felt about him, but everyone deserves a chance or at least some real closure.

_Chapter 5:_

"Ah," Kyoko smiled and replied, "yes, It's Kyoko. Um, am I bothering you?" Her heart was beating rapidly as she started to ramble nervously, "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No," Hikaru said quickly, "No, it's great hearing from you. I was just a little surprised. I wasn't expecting a call from you."

Kyoko smiled. "I was wondering if you were free today?" She asked bashfully, "Maybe for lunch or something?" She could feel her face burn in embarrassment. _He did this every week? _

"**YES!**" He yelled out into the phone as soon as she finished asking, causing Kyoko to jerk it away from her ear. She laughed as he mumbled his apologies.

...

"I should take you home, right? You need to be somewhere at five?" Hikaru asked, his voice a little sad. She nodded. She had to meet up with Ren after his shoot to assume the Heel sibling roles. As they climbed onto the bike, her mind drifted to the other man. Her chest felt tight as she thought of him, wondering how his shoot was going, then she closed her eyes and relaxed as much as she could on the back of the bike.

Hikaru felt her arms tighten around him suddenly. He didn't make a turn or speed up unexpectedly, so there was no reason for her to cling on to him. He smiled and sped up the bike a little in celebration. She had having fun! She enjoyed their first date! The date was more than anything he could hope for. She was exciting and funny. She was open to new things, and lets him take the lead in their date acting totally cute and sweet. But she will voice her opinions and concerns like a real person. He hated mousy passive girls and at the same time, he couldn't handle the fiery ones that dominated their dates.

He took a step back, "Well, have a good night, and I'll see you for the show."

Kyoko frowned confused. She saw him turn towards his bike, ready to put his helmet back on, when she grabbed his arm. He turned towards her waiting for her to speak.

"Um, I'm free at six this Sunday," she said to the ground, "If you are free too, maybe we can go out again, if… you… want…." Her eyes moved up as he approached her, finally meeting his as she finished her request. He looked darkly into her eyes, hope and affection danced in his dark irises. His fingertips touched her cheek softly causing a shiver to run down her skin. She looked up at him, and her eyes widened as his closed.

_He…he… he's going to kiss me! _

She licked her lips and her body wanted to retreat, to hide. Her arms wanted to shove him away, but her mind forced her to stay.

_You are dating him! Kissing is something you do with your date. Stay still!_

His fingers tickled her as he caressed her cheek. Hikaru pressed the softest of chaste kisses on her lips. She barely felt it. _Was that my first real kiss?_

She slipped inside and closed the door with a final goodbye. She leaned against it and waited until she heard the sound of his bike drift away. She took a deep breath and touched her lips.

Maybe this is what real love is supposed to be like, simple, calming, and fun. Kyoko couldn't say that she loved Hikaru, but maybe after some time, she could. Her heart was opened to it now, and Hikaru is safe. Her heart is safe with him.

_Hikaru likes me. _

_I like him. _

_Like can turn into love. _

_Right?_

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><p><strong>AN: Now, for the rest of the story... **


	2. Overacting

**A/N: This still continues from Chapter 170, I did deviate from the Manga though I mentioned a few things from the chapters up to date (Chapter 181). I had to make the story work, right?**

Chapter 2

Kyoko pushed herself off the door with a cheery smile. She could do this. This was actually happening. Mogami Kyoko has a boyfriend, and that boyfriend was the sweet and cute Hikaru. She practically skipped up to her room and then stopped halfway up the stairs at her next thought.

_Did one date mean they were boyfriend and girlfriend? _

People had lots of first dates that didn't go well, and therefore didn't mean anything. At the same time, others date lots of people at the same time just "playing the field". Kyoko grimaced at the idea of that. She couldn't do that. If she was dating someone then that was it. She couldn't date multiple people and feel good about it. Though, that didn't mean that Hikaru would feel the same way.

She slowly made her way upstairs to her room, stopping after a few steps as a new thought seeped into her mind. She disliked the idea of Hikaru, or anyone, dating other women while they also dated her, but the fact that it was one date plagued her. Did one date mean anything? Did two? How many dates did it take to reach the point that they would be monogamous? When do they start officially being "together"?

Kyoko groaned as she finally reached the inner sanctum of her room. This was difficult. She was so unsure about things that she didn't know what was what with Hikaru. Was it presumptuous to schedule another date with him? She dismissed that question. He did say yes. She glanced down at her watch and realized it was getting rather late. She was supposed to meet Ren at the hotel exactly at 5, and she didn't want to face the wrath of Cain wondering where his sister was.

She quickly left everything that she wouldn't need in her room, only taking her wallet, phone and the hotel card key. She had about fifteen minutes left till five so she opted to take a cab. Kyoko found herself at the hotel five minutes till five. She paid the cab driver and eagerly rushed up to the room. She told herself that her hustle was because she didn't want to be late. This was a job and would be deemed unprofessional if she was tardy, but something inside of her was saying otherwise. She wanted to see Ren and at the same time didn't want to see him. The humming of her heart grew louder as she neared the room, wondering if he was already inside waiting for her.

Kyoko hesitated as she finally reached the door, her mind flooding with conflicting emotions. Behind the door could be the man that has stolen her heart. She closed her eyes as a dull pain filled her chest. Stolen was the wrong word, it was more like he tripped over her heart as she selfishly put it in his way. In her overzealous desires to see him, she forgot that he didn't have an ounce of love for her. She can't say that he didn't care about her but just as a kohai. She frowned. Could she even consider them friends?

"Mogami-san?"

"GAH!" The sudden mention of her name by the man invading her mind made her yell and jump out of her skin.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," Ren said humorously.

Kyoko was bent over clutching her heart as she tried to swallow her soul back into her body. She glared up at him. "Yet there you are laughing at me," she grouched. His smile widened slightly causing her heart to thump in response.

"I can't help it if you are funny," he teased. "Did you forget your key?" He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his wallet, and took out the hotel card key.

She blushed lightly and lied, "Yeah, I thought it was in my wallet, but when I arrive, it's missing." She laughed dryly as she followed Ren into the room.

"You could have went to the lobby and asked for another key. Were you waiting long?" He asked with concern.

Kyoko shook her head. "No, I just arrived myself, so you have excellent timing," she said with a cheery smile. She quickly went to the closet, pulled the first top and bottom that she saw and headed over to the bathroom. "I'll be right back… well Setsu will be," she said with a laugh.

Ren twisted his lips in displeasure. He opened his mouth to object, to say that they could have dinner here just as themselves, but stopped himself. The whole reason she was here was to be Setsu. If he asked her to be herself, then she would question why she was here to begin with. He sat down at the edge of his bed with a sigh. With Dark Moon over, this was the only time he would get to see her, at least without Yashiro's direct meddling, so he wanted to make the most of it.

_I suppose I should thank the Boss for this. _He smiled to himself and shook his head. For once, the love obsessed president didn't put them together to fulfill some deep dark desire to see them together. No, Ren understood the reason she was there, and it had little to do with love but control; although, if Kyoko somehow did fall in love with Ren, no one would object.

"HA!" Ren barked out loudly. He let himself fall back onto the bed with a sadistic smile on his lips. While the idea was almost absurd, he couldn't help but let the thought of it fill his mind. He wondered how she would act if she was in love. Kyoko was already so caring and sweet. She worried endlessly about everyone around her, and even goes far enough to cook and take care of her ill "senpai". If she is willing to do that much to someone she didn't love, then what would she do if she was in love? The only examples he had to go off of were how she treated Fuwa Sho.

When they were little, she spoke mostly about her mother, but when she did mention him, she only spoke of their future together. He was the person who was going to give her a happily ever after, her prince charming. From what Ren knew of the year they were together, she gave up everything for him, worked to support him financially and emotionally. Kyoko basically worshiped him. The more he thought about it the angrier Ren got. He already knew what it felt like to be admired by Kyoko. He wanted to know what it was like to be loved by her. He wanted to call up and talk to her whenever he wanted, to hold her or touch her whenever she would let him, to spoil her and make her blush in embarrassment at a compliment. A soft smile took over his face the more he thought about it. Plans and mental notes of what he wanted to do with her - to her, seemed to consume his mind more and more recently.

A soft click of a door drew his attention away from his internal thoughts. Ren turned his head casually towards the bathroom door. She was hiding behind the partially open door, cleaning up from her change, tossing her make-up back into the little bag and neatly putting her Kyoko clothes away. He saw a long span of leg and his heart started to race. _She isn't wearing that micro mini skirt again, is she? _He shut his eyes fighting the image of their first night. He should have burned that skirt or tossed it into the trash when she wasn't looking. Yet, the idea of her wearing that skirt just for him…

"Nii-san, the bathroom is free," Setsu called out nonchalantly. Ren stopped breathing as he saw her. She was wearing a white halter top. The front had a wide collar that produced a V neck deep enough to make his mouth go dry. It had four black lines that were spaced evenly down the top emphasizing the curve of her breast down to her tiny waist. As she walked to the dresser she revealed her back, showing off a rather loose black ribbon that held the top together and glimpses of skin that her long hair tried in vain to hide. The top showed off a decent amount of her stomach along with the very low riding skirt she was wearing. It was black, and stretched tightly across her hips then slowly became layers of tattered lace. Integrated into the skirt was lacing of white ribbons that were there for more decoration than purpose, though he was more than curious to see if they did reveal anything.

She put her clothes away and noticed that Ren hadn't moved yet. She glanced at him to find him just staring at her. Kyoko wanted to blush, curious as to what he was thinking, but Setsu found it annoying since he didn't look like her beloved brother. Setsu sneered as she turned towards the man. She walked up to him, crossed her arms under her breast angrily with her hip cocked and let her eyes roam over Ren.

Ren slowly eased up worried that the wild animal in front of him was going to bite if he moved too suddenly. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but she beat him to the punch almost literally. Setsu snatched up his tie, as he was still wearing his suit, and jerked him forward as she leaned down to glare into his eyes.

"Give me my Nii-san, now," she growled.

He didn't know if he should be turned on or afraid. He really didn't have much time to think about it since she was actually choking him with his own tie. He met her glare with a tiny Cain smirk. Before she let go satisfied that she got her brother, Cain grabbed her waist and threw her onto his bed, knocking the air out of her. He was instantly on top of her on his hands and knees, caging her body with his.

"Don't be a pest, Setsu," Cain grumbled as she smiled brightly at him. As Cain was about to crawl off the bed to change, he noticed that her top shifted. Kuon flooded to the surface as a seductive smile spread across his lips.

"Do the panties match the bra?" He asked as he stared at her bra. She was wearing a pure black bra with straps that seemed to go around her neck instead of her shoulders.

Setsu looked up at him confused and awkwardly looked down at herself. Kyoko wanted to scream, to push him off and cover herself from head to toe. Half of her right breast was being shown off to the man due to the damn loose top. The bra thankfully covered everything important, but she was mortified. Still, she had to be in character. Setsu didn't care if her brother saw her in her underwear, so Sestu merely cursed at the stupid wardrobe malfunction.

"Stupid corset," she griped as she shifted under the sinfully sexy man over her, yanking the top back into place. "I tried to tighten the ties behind me, but I couldn't get it tight enough, so it slowly loosened up," she explained as he watched her jerk the white top over herself. He wanted to cry or rip it off completely as she worked back into place.

"Will you help me fix it?" She pleaded. Kuon tore his eyes away from her torso and looked at her face. She was pouting cutely as she asked her brother for help. Before he could answer, she lifted herself up slightly and started to roll over onto her stomach. Her hip bumped his stomach and her knee grazed his inner thigh, sending an electrifying thrill through him. She adjusted her top to make sure it was in the right place and then settled underneath him.

"Just untie the bow at the top and tighten the laces," Setsu explained and waited patiently.

Kuon was dumbfounded. He expected her to lash out, to scream or blush, but she didn't do anything but fix it. As he looked down at her, this innocent, sweet, tempting, evil seductress that was his Kyoko, he could only see her as a woman. Strands of blonde and pink hair cascaded down her soft smooth back. He ached to run his hands along the slim outline of her body. As his desires filled him, his body began to react. He wished to see her back so his hand reached out and gently pushed her long hair off to the side, watching as it slowly slid across her smooth skin revealing the expanse of her back. The ties were messily done, revealing an almost uninterrupted glimpse of her back, if it wasn't for her bra. It was interesting, even the bra had little ties on the back. He looked closely at the little straps and noticed it doesn't come undone.

_Oh God, it opens up front. Why didn't I notice that when she was facing up? _He didn't know which was better, the fact that it was a front clasp or that everything but the cups were see-through.

Kuon slowly ran his right hand down Setsu's back from her shoulder blades down and over the ribbon. His lips twitched, almost into a smile as he felt her tremble under his touch. His hand curved down to her waist and slipped underneath the top. He didn't move up but across her back slowly sliding out due to the angle he was in. His hand stopped at the very top of her skirt where he found the zipper of the garment. He trailed his index finger down that zipper, his eyes imagining it slowly becoming undone, picturing the slightly see through panties that her bra promised.

_I'm going to die! _Kyoko screamed to herself as she waited. This was too much, her boldness, and her character was going to kill her. With her heart's currently level of thrashing in her chest, it was going to explode and kill her in a matter of seconds. She should have just changed once she realized she couldn't tie the damn ribbon behind her. No matter what she did to tie it, it became loose again. She tied it first and couldn't get it on. She put it on backwards and flipped around, and it loosen again. Finally she just pulled as hard as she could and tied it, but she knew it wasn't going to be enough. Still she hoped and now looked what's happening.

_I should just get up and cha…aaaahh. What is he doing? _Kyoko's breath stopped as she felt him move her hair. She forced air back into her as she reasoned with herself. _ He didn't want to pull my hair or get strands of it in the ribbon. _He stopped again and her body screamed at her to move, to get away or to turn around and touch him. She kept her eyes tightly closed and just waited, willed herself to stay calm and just breath. Then she felt him touch her, placing his hand high on her back. His hand felt so hot pressed against her skin. She swallowed as he leisurely ran his hand down her back. No mater how good her acting was, feeling his large hand on her skin, making her feel so very good, she couldn't stop her body's reaction and tremble.

She gasped soundlessly as he circled her waist and blushed at her reaction. Kyoko was sure she would be NG'd if he saw her now. She was letting her desire for him over take Setsu's character. He was simply in character, and she was taking advantage of their characters' closeness to get closer to him. She should be so ashamed, yet she wanted more, to feel more of his delirious touch, but she wanted it to be Ren, not Cain. She let her body relax under him but was forced to tense as she felt him at her skirt. Once she felt him press down on the little zipper that held it, her whole body clenched, not in fear or worry but in anticipation. That thought alone made Kyoko panic. _SETSU! HELP ME! _Setsu flooded her body, and it automatically relaxed. The first thought in her mind was what was taking so long.

"Nii-san?" Setsu called out, wondering if he was confused by the garment. "Are you having trouble with a little tie?" She teased.

Ren retracted his hand like a whip, but Kuon quickly returned angry. _What is with this girl? She just lies underneath a full grown man in that sexy outfit and expect him to feel nothing. _His lip twitched in a snarl. _I am a MAN. _ _I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER! _ Kuon picked himself up onto his knees. He leaned over and quickly untied the little bow she made. He took the two ends of the ribbon and roughly pulled up, lifting Kyoko slightly off the bed. She yelp in surprise and gasped as he squeezed the corset around her.

"Too tight!" She stressed breathlessly. He didn't seem to hear as he angrily tied the ribbon in a double knot. As soon as he was done, he released the ribbon and pushed himself off the bed. Before Setsu or Kyoko could turn around and look at him, he imprisoned himself in the bathroom.

"What the hell," Setsu cursed as she rolled over to her back. She tried to pull the now painful garment down, past her ribs but it no avail. The top was designed to hold her ribs to show off some tummy, and he tied it tight enough to crush them. She groaned as she sat up sitting on the bed. Sitting up helped a little, but it still hurt to breathe. She reached behind her, her fingers grasping one of the ribbons and pulled. Her eyes widened as it jerked but didn't loosen. She tried to get a better grip and yanked down harder.

Ren dressed rather quickly since his anger and frustration drove him. Cain opened the bathroom door violently, finding Setsu's back facing him while she tried to untie the ribbon behind her. He smirked in satisfaction as the double knot prevented her efforts. _Serves you right, _he sneered at her.

"Tsuruga-san, it's too tight. It hurts," Kyoko whimpered softly, trying not to draw in too much air.

His name and her obvious pain sobered him up quickly. He rushed over to her and onto the bed. "I'm sorry, I…" Ren grimaced. What did he say? He meant to do that, to punish her but now that he actually hurt her, guilt filled him. "I got carried way. I'm so sorry," he said honestly.

"It's fine. Just undo it, please," she pleaded. She felt him working the tie, but it still hasn't loosened.

"Um, Mogami-san," he paused frowning at the knot, "I can't untie it. The knot is too small."

"Then cut it off. I don't care," Kyoko responded desperately. She was taking short fasts breaths and was starting to feel light headed and dizzy.

"Okay, hold on." Ren launched himself off the bed and into the kitchen. He started pulling open drawers looking for a knife or a pair of scissors of some sort. He glanced over to Kyoko making sure she was alright. She was swaying softly, her hand resting over her diaphragm where the cloth clutched onto her. He cursed as he couldn't find a single sharp object in the tiny kitchen. Finally, he found the knives and reached for the smallest one there was, a standard steak knife, but as he looked up, he found Kyoko already passed out.

"Kyoko!" He yelled out and ran to her. He crawled onto the bed and slipped the knife between some of the laces. Careful not to hurt her any more than he already has, he cut the ribbon pulling away from her. He tossed the knife to the floor and pulled the laces apart, nearly taking the garment off completely. He took her into his arms, turning her up towards him.

"Kyoko," he whispered softly, looking her over, "Kyoko, are you alright?" He lightly touched her face. "Kyoko, wake up." He noticed her chest rise and fall normally but didn't wake up. He hugged her to him, huddling over her in fear and worry.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was upset. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry," he apologized over and over again as he held her.

Kyoko woke up with two voices in the room. She instantly took a deep breath, her mind remembering the need, and felt the soreness around her ribs but was thankful of the air. She opened her eyes and found Cain looking miserable and an older man speaking to him.

"Ah, see she's awake," the older man said encouragingly. Kyoko sat up slowly and looked at herself. She was swimming in one of Ren's shirts, but she still had her halter top underneath. She looked up as the older man came up and introduced himself.

"Hello, Heel-chan. I'm the hotel's physician. Your brother called me up when you didn't wake up. You simply fainted from lack of air, but you'll be fine as long as you wear looser clothing okay," he teased and smiled gently. He turned to leave, and Cain stopped him.

"Are you sure she's going to be okay? Maybe we should take her to the hospital, get X-rays to see nothing is broken," Cain asked worriedly.

"Nii-san, I'm fine. Let the doctor go," she said with her normal voice, feeling more embarrassed than hurt now. As soon as the door closed, the doctor gone, Cain disappeared and Ren rushed to Kyoko's side. He reached out to touch her but stopped, afraid he might hurt her.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated, "I didn't think I tied it that tightly. Are you sure you are okay? We can change and be at the hospital in five minutes."

"I'm fine, Tsuruga-san. Just a little dull ache," she said comfortingly. Kyoko felt the dangerous top still on and wanted it gone. She stuck her hand in the collar and pulled the strap around her neck over her head. "I can't believe I fainted because of clothing," she grumbled as she pulled the offensive garment out and tossed it away.

"It's my fault. I…"

"You're right," Setsu interrupted. Ren closed his eyes and hung his head in shame. "It is your fault. What's wrong with you anyway? Why did you do that? Just because I didn't like you in that stupid suit, doesn't mean you have to be so mean to me."

Guilt racked through him as she spoke, not noticing the difference in her character. He felt the bed move and stiffened as her arms wrap around his shoulders. She swung down under his face like a bulky necklace and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I should beat you up, Nii-san," she playfully grumbled, "but since you were so worried about me, I'll forgive you." She pulled herself up and lightly kissed his cheek. Ren was so shocked; he couldn't move or act as Cain. She pulled him into a hug and time seemed to stop.

"Are you still mad?" Kyoko whispered softly to him. Ren wanted to yell and scream as she misunderstood everything once again. She should be mad. How could she be thinking of him after what he did to her? He shook his head and quickly wrapped his arms around her and tightly embraced her. He held her like that for as long as he could, relishing in the feel of her. He wanted to tell her how much she should be angry at him, that he was a monster and shouldn't be near him let alone in his dangerous arms, yet he couldn't. He selfishly wanted to keep her closer now, to make sure she was okay. Unable to think of what to say he let Cain take over.

"No, I'm hungry," he said casually. Kyoko pulled from his embraced confused. A small smile formed on her lips as she looked at Cain. "I want yakisoba tonight."

Setsu smiled and pushed him away. He fell onto the bed as she slipped off of it. "You want? I was the hurt person. I should get what I want tonight," she said as she walked to the closet. This time she looked through the closet and found a suitable top.

"Because you were so mean to your sister, I'm making vegetarian yakisoba, and you are drinking tea tonight. No saki," Setsu stated making Cain threaten her with puppy dog eyes.

"Deal with it!" she reached the bathroom. "We'll go get groceries after I get dressed again."


	3. Fight!

Chapter 3

The rest of the evening went as planned. They went out and bought groceries for their meal, intimidating absolutely everyone they came across. She cooked, and they ate their meal with minimal whining from Cain about the lack of meat. They watched a movie and retired the uneventful night. Kyoko didn't quite understand this assignment but was eager for the real assignment to start tomorrow. The only reason she could come up for all this non-filming time together was to ensure that their performance as the Heel siblings was flawless, for fear of revealing the truth. Setsu had to know EVERYTHING about her precious brother, so Kyoko didn't argue spending almost every night with Ren.

Besides, who would complain about being with the person you love every night? The only problem was that it wasn't Ren she was with. It was Cain. Still, she saw Ren in Cain just as Setsu saw Cain in Ren. The little clothing incident wasn't mentioned at all that night though Kyoko couldn't keep it out of her mind. What happened? Why did he do that? Why was he angry? Was it something she did? It had to be. He was fine coming in that night. The moment she turned into Setsu he grew more and more upset.

She wanted to ask him, to understand what exactly happened but she couldn't. Ren played his part perfectly, but she could see the underlining guilt. Cain bought her treats at the store like ice cream and candy. He ate more than usual as if trying to please her, served her drinks and even picked up his clothing at the end of the night. With his sweet efforts to stay in character and apologize at the same time, she couldn't bring up the topic.

Kyoko woke up from her restless sleep before the alarm clock rang and turned it off. Cain would never wake up with it, so it was mostly for herself. She was up an hour before required due to the tossing and turning. She glanced over to Ren's sleeping form to ensure he was still asleep. He didn't move, so she guessed that he was. She quietly slipped out of her bed and into the restroom. Again, Setsu didn't need to be quiet with Cain, but Ren was a light sleeper, and if she could let him sleep for a few more minutes, Kyoko would do so. No doubt he would be awake as soon as she opened the door, but Cain would stubbornly stay bundled up till she dragged him out. She relieved herself, brushed her teeth, splashed water on her face and glanced at herself in the mirror.

A small pleased smile decorated her face as she looked at her pajamas, if she could call it that. It was a simple black t-shirt, though not hers, but his. She tried her best to buy sleepwear that was Setsu approved but couldn't. No bright pastel colors, which eliminated a lot of women's sleepwear, no silly sleeping tees or long sleeved shirt/pant sets. She only wanted camisoles and really tiny shorts, or simply underwear and always made of black lace and semi-sheer materials. Kyoko was open to a lot of things but to wear that in front of a man, any man, was beyond her comfort zone.

So Setsu and Kyoko struck a bargain. Setsu was more than happy to sleep in her brother's shirts, and Kyoko was more than covered in his large garments. One night after their showers, Setsu took the shirt Cain discarded and slipped it on. Setsu didn't ask for permission, though Kyoko desperately wanted to. At least then she would feel a little better wearing something that wasn't hers. Maybe he would give her something he didn't mind her wearing. What if this was his favorite shirt, or he didn't want her wearing something he wore that day? When she came out, he took one look at her and then went back to watching TV as if it was nothing, so Setsu did the same.

Kyoko couldn't stop blushing as she looked at herself in his shirt. It hit her mid thigh and the sleeves hit her elbows. She hugged it against her, feeling how incredibly soft it was against her bare skin. While the shirt itself was very nice, the best part was the smell, his scent. She pulled the shirt up and over her nose and inhaled deeply. Well, it smelled like smoke at first, but after that was all him. She smiled happily and let the shirt fall down. She had to get dressed now, back into her leathers and chains. She almost regretted taking it off every morning but her sense of duty always overcame her desires. The fact that she would once again be putting another one later always helped too.

Today she had to prove her character to the President, and Kyoko was more than nervous. Was she ready? Would she be able to fool everyone into thinking they were brother and sister? Would her English be fluent enough? She couldn't make anymore mistakes playing Setsuka, and she wanted to make Ren proud to have her as his sister. After getting dressed as Setsu, she yanked open the door letting it slam back against the wall as hard as possible. Ren was awake, but Cain didn't move. She grinned as she thought of a brilliant way to wake up her big brother. She padded over to the little kitchenette and got herself a glass of water. Setsu leisurely walked over to where Cain was facing, taking little sips of water.

"Nii-san, it's time to get up," she spoke lightly, seeing if the mere sound of her voice would wake him up. It never did. She set the glass down on the nightstand and crawled onto the bed.

"Niiiiiiiiiiii-ssssssaaaaaaaannnnnn," she whined and shook him. "Get up!" Setsu pushed Cain roughly. He simply rolled over facing away from her. She sighed in frustration. It was like this every morning, causing her to set the alarm extra early just for this reason. She eyed him slyly and moved to straddle above him. Setsu leaned over and grabbed the glass of water. She took another sip and leaned over his body slightly. She stretched her arm out, holding the glass of water directly over his head.

"This is your last chance, Nii-san. It's time to get up," she threatened as her hand started to very slowly tip the glass.

"Or what?" Cain grumbled. He actually loved all the efforts Setsu put into waking him up. It was always interesting to see the new things she tries every morning.

"1..." Setsu started her countdown. Cain simply ignored her.

"2..." she continued. Cain flinched as he felt something on his cheek. He picked up his shoulder that was tucked into the blankets and wiped whatever it was off. He then turned, his eyes barely open, to see what it could be.

"3!"

Cain turned just in time to see the glass of water turn upside down and all of its contents splash onto his face. He immediately shot up gasping and sputtering as the semi cold water woke up every single nerve in his body. Setsu fell back on his bed laughing her butt off at the expression of pure shock on his face. As soon as she could see again, the laughter slowing down, she looked up at him and paled.

"Uh-oh," she whimpered as she watched her very ticked off brother glaring at her through wet strands of hair. She slowly backed away and spoke in a nice soothing voice, "Now, Nii-san, I did warn you. You wouldn't get up. What choice did I have?" She smiled sweetly at him to no avail. Her eyes flickered to find the edge of the bed and back to the wet angry animal in front of her.

"It's just water. It's not like your going to get sticky or anything." Setsu felt the edge of the bed coming closer, just a few more centimeters. "And look, you're up, and we can have a nice relaxing breakfast instead of a rushed one like normal. That will be nice, right?" She reached the edge as she spoke and gradually lowered her foot onto the ground. As she started to push her weight off the bed, she heard him growl very, very softly. Setsu gulped and remembered that she still had the glass in her hand.

"CATCH!" she tossed the glass to him and took off! The only other door was the bathroom, but she needed him to get ready so she headed to the next best thing – out of the room. Turned out that was the best and only escaped from her brother. Since he though she was heading to the bathroom too, Cain leaped in front of it to block her expected salvation. She ran past the bathroom door and was reaching for the door handle screaming and laughing at the same time. Her heart was pounding as adrenaline surged through her veins. She opened the door just enough to get her tiny body through and rushed out. Her eyes widened as she turned and saw him almost on top of her as she instinctually shut the door in his face.

Setsu clung onto that door handle as if her life depended on it. It sort of did. She had to use her whole body to keep that damn handle from turning, placing her feet on the door frame for support and leaning as far back as she could. A few people and a worker peeked out to see what the slamming door was about to find a beautiful dark punk girl breathing heavily while holding on to the door knob and grinning from ear to ear.

"Um, excuse me," a man spoke drawing Setsu's attention, "is everything okay?"

Setsu sneered at him as he interrupted her fun. "Yeah," she said with a strained voice, "Everything is just fine." She turned to him and found he was more interested in looking down her blouse than the situation she was in. She narrowed her eyes at him while trying to keep the grip on the ever moving door handle. "Why don't you fu… gah!" Setsu abruptly fell on to floor as the thing that was holding her up was unexpectedly detached.

"Shit," she cursed as she looked at the broken door handle. She let the useless handle drop to the floor and watched as the curious doorman took off running.

"What a sissy," she murmured and flinched as she felt her brother glare on her. She slowly turned towards him, finding his feet first. He was still wearing his pajama bottoms, her eyes following the loose cotton pants up his legs, past his pale naked chest. The dark purple aura grew darker as she slowly made her way up to his face. He wasn't smiling, just scowling down at her. She smiled sweetly at him and wiggled her fingers in a little wave.

"Hi, Nii-san," she said with a big smile and then she got serious. "You really should be getting ready. We still need to eat, and I am not going to let you be late."

Cain didn't say anything. He simply took a step towards her, and she stiffened. Another step and Setsu started crab walking backwards to get away from him. "Now, Nii-san, don't be mad. It was for your own goo…WAH!" Cain bent over and lifted her up into the air and over his shoulder. "PUT ME DOWN!" None of the gawkers moved a muscle as they watched the young girl being kidnapped by the scary older man. They were simply too afraid they would be next.

"NII-SAN! Let Me Go!" She wiggled and squirmed over his shoulder prompting him to spank her butt lightly. Setsu froze in shock. "D…did… did you just spank me?"

"Yes," Cain replied as he pushed the hotel door closed then pushed a potted plant in front of it with his foot. She smiled as she looked down. _I can do that too! _She reached down and found that she couldn't reach. She squirmed on his shoulder trying to lower herself further and he spanked her again, a little harder. Setsu jumped at the shock of it but sighed in defeated. If that was the worse of the punishment, she could deal with that. He walked over to the bed, and she prepared herself to be tossed onto it, however, that didn't happen. Instead he leaned down slightly and went into the bathroom where she heard running water.

"NO!" She screamed, recognizing his intentions. "DON'T! STOP! CAIN!" The water turned off, and she squirmed to get away as he pulled her from his shoulder and dropped her into a tub of freezing cold water.

"**AAAAHHHH!" **Kyoko screamed high and loud as the water hit her skin. Ren's laughter filled the room almost as loudly as her screams did. The water was only up to her breast, and he was rather gentle in dunking her into the tub, but the punishment was still rather affective. She crawled out as quickly as she could, drenched from head to toe and shivering.

Ren couldn't help himself. It was just too funny. Kyoko was the only person in the world to make him laugh this hard. He didn't notice the room grow smaller and darker, lost in his hysteria. He sat on the floor next to her wiping the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. After a moment, he focused on Kyoko who was on her hands and knees dripping wet, her hair was hanging flat and dragging onto the floor, her clothes were plastered against her skin more so than they usually were causing him to coughed lightly as he rather enjoyed the way they hugged her.

"Tsuruga-san…," she growled. Kyoko let all her little demons out ready to attack the man that dared to do this to her. She reached into the tub as he calmed down from his fit of laughter and grinned maliciously at him.

Finally noticing her intentions, he spoke up, "Mogami-san, I was just playing my role. Cain would never let Setsu get away with...," Kyoko swung her arm up and out of the tub, gathering as much water as she could and directed it towards Ren.

"That," he finished as the water splashed across his chest and legs. He sat there motionless as his mind processed what his kohai just did. Her soft bell like giggle reached his ears.

Kyoko watched him carefully, gauging his reaction. Ren didn't move, didn't say anything, or react in anyway. He wasn't angry, happy, sad, confused, or anything. _Maybe I went to far…_. She frowned sadly. _I'm so stupid. _Setsu is allowed to play with Cain, not Kyoko with Ren.

"Mogami-san," Ren spoke softly, carefully. "You know this means war, right?"

Kyoko's brow furrowed as she repeated his words in her head. Her eyes went wide as she finally registered their meaning.

"AH!" She yelled out as he reached into tub and splashed cold water onto her warmed body. He continued his assault with a childlike expression as she took cover behind the edge of the tub laughing. She popped up and started the counterattack, enthusiastically throwing water back at him. Soon all of the water was on the floor around them rather than in the tub, and they were both soaking wet and breathless from laughing. The war was over once they ran out of ammo, declaring it a tie. She crawled over to Ren, who was sitting with his back against the tub trying to catch his breath. He turned towards her with a big happy smile as she sat next to him. She matched his smile and lifted a large clump of soggy hair.

"I think it's ruined," she said sadly, holding up strands of the limp wig.

Ren chuckled. "We'll ask Jelly if she can fix it when we go in," he replied. Kyoko let the blonde mess drop back on her breast and sighed. She let her head rest on Ren's shoulder and gently took his hand into hers. As soon as she did though, she snapped her hand back and pulled herself away from him.

"We should get going," Kyoko said nervously.

"Yes," Ren agreed, "I'll call housekeeping to get this cleaned up." He stood up and offered her a hand.

She looked at it apprehensively but took it. He helped her stand and started walking her out the door when she let go of his hand. Ren looked back at her puzzled. She smiled and explained her thoughts, "Our changing room is out of commission. I'll wait here while you get dressed. Just knock on the door, and I'll know it's safe to come out."

"Ah." Ren wanted to argue as he looked at her. She was shivering from the cold, and he was worried she was going to get sick if she stayed wet. However, she would rather be sick than change in the same room as him.

He smiled. _She didn't want to change in front of me. _That means she's embarrassed changing in front of a man. He nodded happily to her and plopped a fluffy white towel on her head. "I'll be quick, but dry up as much as you can, I don't want you to get sick." He gestured to her wet clothes causing her to look down at herself. She blushed and nodded. He watched her for a second longer and left the room. It was so odd seeing Kyoko in such revealing clothes. Setsu he was use to but not his innocent Kyoko.

"I prefer her in my shirts though," he murmured to himself and set off to change and call housekeeping.

Kyoko splashed the water on the floor with her feet lightly. She smiled as she reminisce their little battle, then felt guilty about the mess they made. She thought about using the towel to soak up some of the water and wringing it out in the tub, but then a shiver ran through her, her body telling her how cold she was. Deciding her heath was more important, she set the towel on the sink, took off her wig and started peeling her clothes off. She was wearing the leather pants that Cain bought her so it took some dancing around to get the garment off. Finally free of all her wet clothing, she starting drying off.

"Mogami-san," Ren knocked as he opened the door, "you can come out. We actually got a…"

"STOP!" She screamed out as she tried to cover herself up as fast as possible.

Ren slammed the door closed as fast as he could, a blush adorning his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Mogami-san. I didn't think you were going to undress." He felt the door open and turned to find her shyly peeking out.

"Did you see anything?" She asked timidly, her face was blazing red in embarrassment.

He coughed lightly, blushing. "Nothing to be concerned about, I promise," he lied. Ren didn't see as much as he would like but some of the puzzle pieces were fitted into the overall picture for him. What she never realized was that she's shown him so much over the course of living together. The press of her body against his, the quick glimpses his shirt gave as she bent over, and the little mini skirts all helped with building his mental image of her. Now he knew she had this cute little birthmark on her left breast and that her butt was as nice out of clothes as it was in them.

Kyoko groaned. "Then why are you blushing?" She came out of the bathroom completely, and he had to look away. She wrapped the towel around her, covering more than what her normal Setsu clothes did but, the fact that she had nothing on underneath was too tempting.

"Mogami-san, you need to hurry up and get dressed," He stated, trying to change the subject, "House keeping and maintenance is going to be up in a few minutes, and we need to go soon."

She sighed knowing that she wasn't going to get a straight answer from him. She looked around and then back into the messy bathroom.

"Where am I going to change?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, I forgot," Ren blushed again, knowing he was distracted from the vision beside him. "They are going to give us a new room because of the…" he coughed, "damages that we caused. I thought you would change there."

"If only someone would have told me that sooner," Setsu said sarcastically. Ren smirked trying to hide his laughter. Sarcasm coming from Kyoko's lips was odd, but it wasn't Kyoko talking so he let Cain take over.

Cain sneered, "And whose fault do you think that is?"

"Yours!" Setsu stuck her tongue out at him "Get out so I can get dressed," Setsu snapped at him.

He smirked at her. "What? You've changed in front of me before, just hurry up and we can go."

Setsu glared and then shrugged. "Fine," she said as she walked over to the dresser for her underwear. "I don't care if you see me, Nii-san." she walked over to the bed farthest from him and sat down with her back to him.

"But the maintenance men are coming up to fix the door, so they may see me naked too," she let the towel slowly slip down her back but still careful to keep her front covered as she spoke.

"If you don't mind other men seeing me, then…." She heard the front door close and turned to find Cain missing. Kyoko blew out her courage and softly screamed into her hands. _Why did Cain and Setsu have to have such a weird relationship?_ She took several deep breaths to calm down her nerves. She was worried that she would really have to change in front of him and actually considered just changing in the closet. She was small enough to do so. Thankfully, she got her way without going out of character. Her mind recalled the "revealing" as she dropped her towel. She blushed brightly and quickly slipped on her panties and snapped on her bra, funny how she instantly felt better having underwear on.

"I wouldn't have minded so much if he saw me in my underwear," she whispered to herself as she put on a pair of shorts. _You liar! _She frowned at the inner voice yelling at her.

"It doesn't matter anyway, he didn't see anything," she spoke confidently to her inner voice. Kyoko sighed as she buttoned up her shorts. Ren deflected the question, which could only mean that he saw more than he let on. Worse case scenario, he saw everything. She groaned. _He's seen me naked now. He knows how completely unsexy I am compared to all those beautiful women he's always around. _She knew that he saw so many naked women just by being a model. There was no way her sexless body would be able to compete with them.

Kyoko wrapped her arms around herself, feeling very cold - very vulnerable. She quickly slipped on her top and threw on her jacket suddenly wanting to start the day. She started to pack up her things, intentionally forgetting that Cain was waiting for her outside. _He can stay outside, _Setsu thought. She was going to pack all his things anyway. As she tip toed into the bathroom to get their personal affects, she noticed her wig on the sink and grimaced. Kyoko looked up into the mirror to find an incomplete image, Setsu clothes, but no Setsu make-up or hair, posing the question of how to hide this little fault.

She finished packing her things and started on Cain's. As she put away his clothes she found a black hoodie. It was still cool outside, though Setsu wouldn't wear something like this. Kyoko frowned. _But it's Cain's so it should be okay. _She put it on anyway.

Ren was starting to get concerned with how long she was taking. She normally was very quick to get dressed, though she took a while with make-up and hair. Still, maintenance was already waiting for him to give the okay to start working, and Cain was making him antsy.

"Should I come back another time?" The middle-aged man said shakily. Cain frightened him, standing so very tall and looking like something he wouldn't want to meet in the best conditions let alone in a deserted hallway.

"No," Cain replied sharply. After a few moments, movement caught his eye. House keeping was now making there way over with their large cart and they were now out of time. Cain turned to the man. "Wait here. Don't Move," he ordered causing the older man to nod furiously. He turned to the door and timidly pushed it open. He was thankful that the door didn't reveal the room right away so he could make his presence known before hand.

"Setsu, hurry up," Cain called out callously making Setsu peek her head around the corner.

"Oi, maybe if I had some help we could leave sooner. Grab those and let me finish this last bag." Setsu pointed to a couple of duffle bags that were sitting in the kitchenette.

"Maybe if you told me you were packing I would have helped," he growled out and grabbed the bags. She came out as he straightened up, and he snorted at her non-stylish clothes.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up, Chuckles," she grumbled, taking the lead out of their ruined hotel room. She stepped out careful to keep the hood over her head to cover her lack of blonde hair. Kyoko saw the two hotel employees waiting to go in and immediately wanted to bow in apology. Setsu didn't give them a second look, stepping out of the way for her brother to come out with the rest of their things.

"Where's the room?" she asked straightforwardly to her brother.

"Two floors down," he replied. They quietly but quickly made their way there. As soon as they were in the room, they shed their personas not wanting to waste time acting appropriately. The Heel siblings had no sense of urgency, and they were extremely late as it is.

"I'll take a shower first. I promise it will be quick," Kyoko said as she pulled the hoodie off, already heading to the bathroom. She grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom just before Ren could object. Time was ticking away leaving less and less time for them to eat which he was sure Kyoko wanted to do. While she showered, Ren searched for the hair dryer. He dried off as best as he could in the other room, but his hair still needed to be styled correctly.

Kyoko found her clothing, showered and got dressed in record time. The next battle was her hair. She had to style it to match Setsu. She could always use the excuse that her real hair was a wig. She grabbed her bag which had all of their grooming materials and looked at the time. Kyoko groaned, she couldn't do this in here, Ren still needed to take a shower.

She opened the door with the big bag in hand. "Your turn, I'm going try to style my hair out here while you shower." She tossed her bag on the bed and uploaded everything onto it. She grabbed the hair gel, comb and hair dryer. She turned to the only other mirror in the hotel room and got to work. She frowned at herself, wondering if she would be able to fool anyone with her original hair color.

_You are an actress! You can fool anyone,_ Kyoko told herself and opened the jar of hair gel. She carelessly dipped her fingers inside the green goo and pulled out a large amount for her hair. Ren disappeared into the bathroom as she started to pull her hair up but didn't close the door. Kyoko looked at it through the mirror worriedly as she heard the water start to run.

"Nii-san, you need to close the door if you are going to take a shower," she complained. Before she could move to close the door, he came out with a towel around his neck and his hair drenched again.

"I just need to fix Cain's hair. Where are the gel and the hair dryer?" He asked as he rummaged through the things on the bed. Kyoko turned back to the mirror leaning over the little dresser.

"I have it," she called out as she ran the comb through her hair spiking it up. She pressed her lips together in frustration; her hair was too long to spike it up. Punk, she needed to be punkish right? Achieving this look was easier with different hair colors, having only one shade was going to kill everything. As she redesigned her hair in her head, Ren stepped up behind her reaching for the blow dryer. Kyoko felt herself blush at his casual closeness.

"Go to the other mirror!" Setsu yelled at him over the hair dryer.

"No, you have everything here. Hurry up, we need to go," Cain responded loudly without pausing. Setsu huffed agitated and looked into the mirror again. _How am I going to make this work? _ After a few seconds she stuck her fingers into her hair and thrashed it about wildly. Ren stilled for a moment as he watched her completely mess up her hair. When she opened her eyes again, he forced himself to continue. She leaned over the dresser, closer to the mirror and started to slide or fix certain strands of hair in certain directions. She was so focused fixing her hair that she didn't realized the position she put herself in.

Ren looked down at her bent over the dresser, her butt up in the air in leather shorts so tight he knew she had to be wearing a thong. He closed his eyes and his fists to keep his desires from taking over. He didn't know how much time had passed until he felt her move back straight into him finally finished with her hair and make-up. He bit back a groan as she accidentally brushed her body against him.

"What are you doing, Nii-san? We have to go!" Setsu shoved away from the dresser and grabbed his arm at the same time. Instead of moving, Cain held his ground and refocused on fixing his cowlicks. He would go when he was ready to go.

"If I can go out with this," she gestured to her spiky artfully messy orange hair, "you can go out like that! Let's go!" She screamed and pulled at him again. He glanced at her again and smirked. Ren actually thought she looked pretty good. The gel was on so thick her hair color was darkened to the point of it almost being red. Then she did her make-up to look like she had on a pink mask. With dark pink eye shadow around her eyes to fade down to her cheeks and black eye liner that trailed off into little dots at the corner of her eyes. Where she learned to put on make-up like that was a mystery but it hid Kyoko perfectly. No one would recognize her.


	4. Evaluation

Chapter 4

They arrived at LME right at 8 on the dot, though they needed to be at there at 8. Technically, they weren't late, inside the building counts, right? Okay, so they really let themselves get carried away at the hotel. Adding the chaos that ruined her wig, Kyoko was beyond afraid of people recognizing her but clinging onto Cain's arm allowed most people to glance at them and turn away just as quickly. Cain was emitting such a large "Get Back" aura that she suspected he was a little fearful of getting recognized as well. As soon as they walked into the lobby, everyone within a 20 yard radius fled the area in fear.

Protocol specified that all outside visitors were to report to the front desk even if they were expected. It didn't matter if you were past, present or future talent, anyone that didn't belong to LME had to report in. So when the fearsome couple simply walked past the front desk straight into the elevator without a word as to who they were or why they were here, the receptionists did the only thing they could do. They called security.

Security was running rampaged trying to figure out who they were, where they were going and what their intentions were. They sent two men to each floor to head them off before they wondered too far into the building, though with the numerous amount of floors and the limited amount of guards, it was still going to take some time unless they were lucky.

"Do you think she will be able to fix it?" Setsu asked while they waited for the elevator to take them to the top floor. They called ahead and told them the situation. Kyoko tried to dry it off as best as she could and wrapped it in a towel, which she was holding in her arm at the moment.

"I don't know," Cain answered honestly. Setsu hugged the bundle in her arm tightly and touched her hair with concern. He smirked at her and took her hand. "Don't worry about it. You don't look like her," he assured her.

"Yeah, but do I look like your little sister?" She looked up at him, and he had to think about it. The eyes were the same with the grey contacts and the clothes since that was his sister's style but the hair and make-up was too different from his sister's.

"Well, since you aren't scared of Cain, and Cain hasn't forced you away, then I gather this is an acceptable Setsu. Though I do like your previous style more," he admitted.

Setsu pouted. "I wanted to try something different, Nii-san. You really don't like it?"

"I didn't say that," he stated.

"You said you liked my natural style more so that means you don't like this look," she whined and tugged on his arm. "Let's go home so I can change."

"No, you look fine," Cain said. The elevator dinged as they reached their destination, and the doors opened allowing them to walk through.

"Nii-san, I want to look pretty for you," she cried as he dragged her onto the floor. "Let's go home, and you can dress me however you like," Setsu said with a dark undertone.

Ren froze at that statement and turned to her with dark lust-filled eyes. Kyoko shown through a bit and took a step back but realized her mistake and stood her ground. Cain put an arm around her waist, lifted her up gently and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Don't tempt me, sis." His voice was filled with such dark promises it made Kyoko's entire body heat up and grow cold at the same time. She looked up into his sin filled eyes and licked her lips to respond when a door beside them slammed open.

"FOUND THEM!" A guard yelled out and held the door open for his friends to come up. He paled as he took a real look at them and swallowed a little lump in his throat. Three other men came rushing to his side and really didn't know what to do. A tall dark deadly man was glaring at them angrily with a pretty but scary young girl matching his expression. The male had his arm around the girl's waist protectively while the girl clung onto his shirt.

What do you want?" Setsu huffed angrily, though Kyoko was thankful of the distraction.

While Setsu addressed them, Cain watched the four men take in the situation, and found two of the younger one's eyes never wavering from certain location. He followed their eyes down to Setsu. His eyes trailed down the length of Kyoko's skimpily clad body and knew instantly what they were thinking. He's been thinking the exact same thing since this morning. He snapped his attention back at the men and snarled menacingly. All four of the men backed up as Cain stepped in front of his sister partially hiding her from view.

The eldest one pushed his way towards the front of the group and coughed, "Excuse me, but you are not allowed to be up here without consent. If you would please calmly and quietly follow us down stairs, we can contact whomever you like and you may talk to them if they are available."

"We are expected!" Setsu yelled out from behind Cain. She slid under his arm and hugged his waist as she spoke, "We have a meeting with the President, and you are going to make us late!" Cain wanted to laugh. They were already late, but why not make them the reason.

"Now Miss, we don't want any trouble. If you do have an appointment, then you will be in the books downstairs. Let's go take a look, and we can reschedule or see if President Takarada is still available."

"Pfft, what a waste of freaking time," Setsu complained. "We are late, and you are making us later. If my Nii-san get's in trouble because of you idiots there will be hell to pay!" All four men froze when she called him her brother. They looked up at the dark man who only responded with a little smirk, then turned back when they saw the girl move.

"I'll call him, and then you'll have to tell him why we are so late!" She reached into Cain's right pocket and pulled out his cell phone. She stood there angrily as she waited for the phone to pick up. Realizing that there was no imminent danger, Cain relaxed. He watched the four men as he pulled Setsu closer to him. His arm wrapped around her tiny frame and let his hand rest on her hip possessively. He smirked as odd, fearful and confused looks filled the faces of the four security guards. Cain loved messing with people. It was the next best thing to spoiling his sister and acting. His eyes were on their reaction as he leaned down and kissed her shoulder. One man blushed and turned away from the scene, another looked at them with disgust, the eldest tried to keep a straight face on but his emotions flickered to confusion every now and again while the fourth, one of the younger ones was actually showing a great deal of lust.

Kyoko was fighting hard to stay in character, to keep from blushing and to remain angry and annoyed at these four men. The fact that Cain decided to play was beyond distracting. Finally, Lory answered his phone.

"Prez, It's Setsuka. Call off your damn guard dogs, will ya? They aren't letting us through," she surprised everyone as she yelled out in English. Cain stopped to try and listen in on the phone conversation.

"I was wondering where you two were. Where are you now?" He asked in Japanese.

"We are on your floor. Just look outside your door, and you'll see your stupid dogs blocking our way," she again replied in English causing Cain the laugh behind her.

"Alright, I'll be there, but Setsuka-chan, you need to work on your manners," Lory stated and hung up the phone.

Setsu snapped the phone closed and stuck her tongue out at them. "You guys are in trouble," she sang in a teasing tone.

Lory did come out and settle things between everyone. The guards did apologize but re-enforced the importance for guests to sign in down stairs. Soon they were following Lory back into his office. Today he was dressed as a cowboy, a Sherriff to be exact. He sported dark blue jeans with black leather chaps, cowboy boots with real spurs, a mid-length black leather coat, a red vest over a white button up shirt, a simple black ribbon tie, black cowboy hat, Sherriff star and gun holster with a fake gun. Considering Japan's gun laws, it had to be fake, right?

Seeing what the president was going to dress up as every day was fun and sometimes a game among the employees. It was easy to simply dress up as something different everyday with what was available to the president of a talent agency but the fact that he goes above and beyond by replacing all his furniture to match his current outfit was insane. They stepped in to a dusty room with bare widows and all old wooden furniture. None of it looked as comfortable as what was there before.

Lory sat behind his desk which looked completely out of place with a modern computer and telephone sitting on it. Even though he gets to play dress up with himself and his office, he was still aware that he had a business to run. The Heel siblings sat opposite him on two creaking wood chairs. Setsu pulled her chair closer to her brother before carefully sitting down. If Kyoko was worried about it falling apart under her weight, there was no telling how Ren felt. Once settled, the three of them just looked at each other. Lory looked them over and the two stared back waiting for Jelly to come in or for him to tell them where she was or what was happening. Not a minute later, Setsu started getting antsy. Her leg started shaking up and down. She started to pick at her nails, and once she determined nothing was wrong with them, she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Take a picture why don't cha? We didn't come in here for you to just stare at us. Where is Jelly?" Setsu complained in English again causing both men to smile. Lory took it one step more and started cracking up laughing. He was having trouble breathing and tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

"You two can drop characters now. You're completely safe," Lory said between giggles. As soon as he finished his statement Kyoko threw herself onto the floor in a dogeza.

"I am so sorry, President Takarada. I was extremely rude to you on the phone and just now. I apologize for making Tsuruga-san late with this incident and for insulting the good men that help secure the building. I am so sorry. I can only beg for your forgiveness for my insolence and await proper punishment!" Kyoko yelled out all at once without one pause for air.

Both men laughed softly, but Lory spoke up to relieve the poor girl. "Please don't worry yourself, Mogami-kun. You were in character. I would have been more upset if you held back. I must say, you have created a very entertaining Setsuka Heel."

"Thank you, sir," Kyoko replied timidly still on the floor.

"Get up, Mogami-kun," he ordered, snapping Kyoko off the floor and sitting properly in her chair. Both men looked at the girl with her hair completely messed up in dangerous spikes pointing in every direction and in punk rocker clothes sitting straight laced, stiff backed, knees together and both wanted to laugh again. It was such an odd picture. All Ren did was straighten up a little as he was a little afraid to move in the wooden chair.

"Ten is preparing another wig for you as we speak and should be here momentarily. Meanwhile I wanted to see how your characters are progressing but from the way you two acted coming in, I believe everything is perfect," Lory said with a pleased smile, making Kyoko beam in pleasure at doing a job well done. "I know Ren has mastered Cain long before Setsuka entered the picture, so Mogami-kun, how do you feel about your character?" He asked curious of her thoughts.

Kyoko flustered a little as she thought about it. "She's fun but a little scary and not in the Mio or Natsu type way, but…" she hesitated, prompting Lory to directly ask what the problem was.

"Well, she is the first non-Japanese character I've had to play," Kyoko said with a little smile. "She's not afraid of showing affection to her brother," she paused and bowed lightly to Ren, "Sorry, Tsuruga-san."

"I don't mind," he said softly watching the girl next to him.

Kyoko continued her analysis, "She's rude to everyone that isn't Cain, needy and extremely possessive. On the other hand, she is very sweet to her brother, loves taking care of him, cooking for him, which I'm very happy about since Tsuruga-san is eating properly because of her." She nodded with satisfaction at that accomplishment. "When it's just the two of us I have the most fun with Setsuka, but when other people are involved I don't like her character much," she finished.

Everyone was silent as they absorbed her words. Lory watched her for a moment, the light blush on her cheeks, the way she spoke about Ren and he could feel the progress in her analysis. He smiled smugly eager for his LoveMe girl to finally graduate from the program. Lory can almost see the end for her. He sat back and Ren's expression came into view. He snorted softly as he watched the young man on cloud nine beside her. He was smiling softly, his eyes sparkling softly as he gazed at the young woman. It was embarrassing to see how much in love this man was.

"Ren!" Lory yelled out for two reasons: to snap him out of his love induced trance and to simply get his attention. Ren quickly fitted his mask quickly, impressing Lory with exactly how swiftly he changed.

"Yes, sir?" Ren responded.

"How do you feel about Setsuka?" Lory inquired.

Ren cleared his throat to give himself a moment to think about his wording. "She does add new depth to Cain's character. Before Cain was pretty much BJ without actually being a murder. Knowing that he loves her, or anything at all, provides some humanity in him creating just another normal person. I think she was a much needed addition. As for Mogami-san's interpretation of the character, I have no complaints."

Kyoko turned to Ren in shock. She thought for sure that he would start listing all of the NGs he had to do while she tried to grasp her character. He turned to her with a small sweet smile making her blush lightly. Lory suspiciously eyed Ren, curious if he was lying because the girl was here or if he was sincere.

"So then the previous issues are no longer of any concern?" Lory asked cautiously. Kyoko frowned completely confused with the conversation.

Ren's smile tightened but responded honestly. "There are a few interesting challenges; however, it's nothing I can't handle. I rather face those developments than lose the…" he paused trying to find the right word, "protection that is now available to me. I realized how very important it is to me," he glanced over at her as he said this then back to Lory, "I don't want to let that go for any reason."

The seriousness of the conversation wasn't lost on Kyoko but the meaning was. She looked back and forth between the two men and neither would answer her unstated question. Ren officially turned to Kyoko and spoke, "I believe we work well together. Don't you agree, Mogami-san?"

"Yes!" She declared finally able to understand something of this conversation. "It's a dream to work with someone as talented and dedicated as Tsuruga-san, especially as close as we have been with Cain and Setsuka. I'm realize I'm not worthy of such a role, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world."

Lory smiled and nodded. "Very good then," he spoke softly behind his hands as he thought everything through, "I see that your English is acceptable enough to be a translator for your brother. No one should question why you are there. Setsuka will be allowed everywhere Cain is. Director Konoe was a little worried about this addition, but I assured him that Setsuka would not hinder production." He looked at Kyoko, who wore a worried look.

"What's wrong, Mogami-kun?" Lory asked.

"I'm just a little worried about production. Setsuka is going to very loud on set," she admitted.

"Even during filming?" Ren asked curiously.

"No, she loves Cain, and Cain loves acting, so she wouldn't stop him from acting once he is on stage. She will probably fall in love with BJ too," she confessed with a little giggle. "It's just I'm worried about stunts that Tsuruga-san will want to perform, and," she turned to Ren worried, "Not that I think it will happen, but NGs. If the director NG's her brother, she will not be happy."

Ren laughed. "I'm not perfect, Mogami-san. I've gotten many NGs in my career. I wouldn't be human if I didn't. It's happened before, and it will happen in all of my roles in the future."

"Yes, but Setsu thinks Cain is perfect!" She distressed, "He can do no wrong. Having a man tell her brother that he didn't do something right will upset her to no end. Can you honestly tell me that Cain won't get annoyed?"

Ren thought about it and cringed a little. "Yeah, he will, but that is why Setsuka is there, to control Cain so he doesn't get upset and try and kill someone. Even if you are the little sister, you are the more responsible one," he stated.

Lory was pleased and grinning from ear to ear behind his hands. From the simple statement that Setsuka was needed to take care of her brother, they placed the younger sibling as the responsible and cool headed one even though she idolizes her brother. Everything she has done in her life was because of him, yet she was the one in charge. The Heel siblings were not conceived by normal means, no one wrote these characters for them from a script, yet here these actors were able to create these complex people from nothing. Now they are the only ones able to act and control these characters because they were the Heel siblings and only these two people could pull off something so ingenious.

"So Setsu can't be upset and is needed to cool off her brother," Kyoko stated, almost giving herself a mental note.

"Oh, Setsu can be upset. I agree with you there. She would be very upset if someone disagreed with her brother, but she can't let it stop production. She has to remember that acting gives Cain the money to buy Setsu all her clothes and make-up," he teased her. At the same time, a door opened with a flourish and entered the tiniest woman.

"I'm here! It's done!" Jelly came in clacking her heels on the floors with the new wig in hand. Kyoko stood up and bowed down spewing out apologize like a geyser. Jelly laughed musically and gently reassured the girl.

"It's fine Kyoko-chan. These things happen. Though I am curious as to how you destroyed the first wig?" She phrased it into a question making Kyoko blush, a little embarrassed to reveal the reason.

"I was in the restroom, and it fell into the tub as I was getting ready," she lied and felt horrible about it. For some reason she really didn't want to say what they were doing, it felt too private to discuss in public. Jelly just smiled and nodded once accepting the reason though not believing it for one second.

"I see. Well, let's wash out your hair so we can put this one on. I'll fix up that one and you can pick it up when you can. That way you'll have an extra one just in case..." She glanced at Cain with a little suspicious smirk, "in case something else happens."

"Ren-chan," Jelly called out to him. He turned towards her with a questioning look. "Are you going to need a spare one as well?"

"No, Wood-san. I'm sure everything will be fine from now on," Ren said with a calm smile. Jelly clicked her tongue angrily at the fact that Ren still refused to call her Ten but let it go. She was getting tried of that argument. Jelly swept Kyoko away and within five minutes, she was Setsu again with her old hair style and lighter make-up. Jelly was no where to be seen, probably cleaning up the old wig now rather than later. Setsu walked towards Cain with a happy smirk finally comfortable in her own skin. He stood up and nodded once to Lory before slipping back into character.

"Let's get out of here. I'm starving," Setsu whined to her brother, casually taking his arm as they walked out. "We skipped breakfast because of your cavorting this morning."

Cain snorted as he opened the door for her. "Yeah, it's entirely my fault you got all wet after attacking me in bed." The door closed behind Cain's sarcastic statement shutting off Setsu's relay.

Lory sat there staring at the door in a stunned silence. _Kyoko attacked him in bed, and he got her wet? Cavorting in bed? _Indecent thoughts and images filled his mind and he quickly shook his head. _This was Kyoko, a girl that sworn off love and is so blind to what she has around her, there was no way she would ever do something so adult. And Ren, Ren is the perfect gentleman that was created… created by Kuon. _Lory shuddered thinking about Kuon now._ Yeah… Kuon would do that. _

… _and that._

… _definitely that too. _

_Poor Kyoko._

Lory took a deep sigh and picked up his phone suddenly very eager for something. He dialed extension 1303 and waited patiently for Sawara to pick up.

Before the man could greet his caller, Lory spoke up, "Sawara, give Mogami-kun that script that came in for her."

"Saichou-san?" Sawara had to think about it for a few minutes and then understanding finally dawned on him. "I thought you told me she wasn't ready for that," he asked confused.

"She isn't 100% of the way there, but it's close enough. It will be like throwing a baby bird out of the nest to make it fly," Lory stated as he smirked out the window. He could hear the hesitation on the other side of the line and added, "I'll allow her to decide whether to accept the role or not. If she does, it will be her final LoveMe assignment. No pressure if she doesn't accept. Deal?"

Sawara agreed and pulled out the offer and script of Love's Rival and set it on top of a large stack of papers to give to Kyoko as soon as possible.


	5. Unpacking Guilt

Chapter 5

Ren and Kyoko retreated back to the hotel. Now that the Heels were no longer needed, they were able to start their day as themselves.

"Now, I'm going to go take my shower," Ren stated as they entered the room.

"Okay," she whispered but then perked up and called out to him, "Um, Tsuruga-san." He stopped, turned towards her and waited for her to continue.

"Would you like to have breakfast with me?" she asked with a little blush. His smile's brightness multiplied a hundred fold, and Kyoko quickly added, "Unless you need to be some where soon? Perhaps I was too presumptuous to assume that..."

"I would love to, Mogami-san. I have a little over an hour before I need to head out," he interrupted her stammering.

"We'll order something from room service. Is that okay?" She asked, and he nodded with a slight smile. Kyoko sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out a room service menu. She didn't have time to cook, not that there was any food in the room. She frowned at her mishap, forgetting to get the food in the last room but quickly dismissed it.

"What do you want to eat?" She asked as she looked at the menu.

"I don't care. Something light with coffee," he responded offhandedly.

Kyoko smiled softly. "Okay, breakfast will be here when you are done," she informed him as the door closed between them.

She ordered two American breakfasts: two eggs over-medium, toast and seasonal fruit, no meat since Ren actually didn't like to eat meat for breakfast, and a pot of coffee. As soon as that was completed, she set to unpack everything. As she started pulling out clothing, Kyoko noticed how very wrinkled everything was. The Heel clothing was fine wrinkled but their normal clothing would have to be ironed. First thing was to make sure his shirts were okay. She would work on that so he may leave then she can iron her own clothing.

Ren didn't dawdle in the shower. He washed up and was out in record time, not because he was in a hurry for work, but so he could have a little more time with her. He blew dried his hair, changed out his contacts, slipped on the bathrobe and turned to leave, but hesitated. For once, Kyoko was out there, not Setsu. He could feel his heart begin to race and wanted to roll his eyes at himself. _You're acting like a preadolescent with your first crust. Calm Down. _ He took a few deep breaths and opened the door. She wasn't in his immediate line of sight, but he could hear her. One step into the room and he found her in the closet, literally. At the sound of the bathroom door opening, she turned with a mild expression of shock. She looked over at the clock and smiled. 

"That was quick," she said, turned back and picked up one of his dress shirts. "Breakfast isn't here yet, but I hope it will be soon. I am so hungry," she whined cutely as she set up the little ironing board.

"You don't have to do that," he said, referring to the shirt.

"It's wrinkled," she stated as if that was enough of an answer. She smoothed out the material across the board and picked up the heated iron. She didn't have any starch so it won't be perfect, but it will better than it is now.

"Well, let me do it. It's my shirt," he replied. He started to walk over when there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, the food!" Kyoko glanced at Ren and found him unsuitable to answer the door, so she turned off the iron and rushed to the door while speaking, "I don't mind. I packed it, and therefore wrinkled it, so I can iron it." She opened the door with a ravenous look and quickly took the cart of food in the room, thanking the server for the quick delivery. She moved the cart to the little table and turned in shock about what he was doing. He had the iron in his hand and was ironing his shirt.

"I said I would do that!" she cried and rushed over to him. From the past experience, she was expecting a large burnt area but found him struggling to get the shirt straight on the board.

"And I told you, I could do it," he frowned as he set the iron down to straighten the shirt over the board. "The board is too small though," he gripped as he took one swipe with the iron and moved the shirt then repeated. She watched as he wrestled with the board and shirt. She's seen him get ready before, but never this and then in a bathrobe he was so very… cute. She giggled behind her hand as she watched him.

"What?" He glanced up at her pleased to see her smiling face.

Kyoko shook her head. "Nothing, you're doing good," she commended him with a shy smile and returned to set up their breakfast. Ren watched her move to the cart by the little table with a curious expression on his face. She smiled so sweetly at him, and he didn't understand why. He wanted more than anything to ask her, so he could repeat what he was doing, or what he said, just to see her smile like that more often. He picked up the iron and tried to hurry up, eager to sit down with her, not so much to eat though.

Ren tried to concentrate on his task, but she kept distracting him. She poured coffee for both of them, black for him, sugar and creamer for herself and popped the top off her plate. He was surprised to see an American breakfast but found it acceptable if she ordered the same for him. She grabbed her fork and started tearing into her eggs, cutting it up into little pieces, letting the yolk run all over the place then added salt.

Kyoko tore a chuck of her toast and sopped up the egg mix with it. She almost moaned as the first taste of food touched her tongue. She quickly prepared another bite as she chewed the first and ate it as soon as she swallowed. She didn't realize how hungry she was until that first bite. She swallowed her second bite and leaned over to get her coffee when her eyes lifted and found Ren staring at her.

"What?" She asked wide-eyed. She pulled her hand back and touched her lips. _Do I have food on my face? Oh that would be so embarrassing!_

Ren smiled and shook his head. He turned off the iron and stripped his shirt off the board he answered, "I don't think I've ever seen you eat like that before."

Kyoko blushed. "Like what?"

"With your fingers, so uncouth," he teased. Finally finished, he turned towards her and took his place in the seat next to her.

"I am not eating crudely! This is how you are supposed to eat it," she said and tore another piece of bread then hesitated. She looked timidly to Ren and whispered, "Right?"

He laughed softly and nodded. "Yes, that is how most people eat eggs prepared like this. I was merely stating that I've never seen you eat that way. It's cute," he said with a smile. He pulled the lid off his plate, pleased to see the same thing she had.

Kyoko couldn't be more embarrassed. _It's cute. _ _It's cute. It's cute. It's cute. It's cute. _Her hand was still frozen over her plate as those words kept repeating over and over in her head. How does she respond to that? She was a little scared of eating now.

"Mogami-san, please eat. I meant nothing by it," Ren reassured her as he started on his meal. She watched him do the exact same thing she did. He broke the egg yolk, added salt and pepper then took his bread to gather up some of the egg. She smiled as he took the piece into his mouth and ate it from his fingers.

Okay… It was cute.

Breakfast was done and she called housekeeping to pick up the cart, then disappeared into the bathroom as he got dressed. Well, he put his pants on but hesitated on his shirt. It wasn't the professional job that he was use to. He only wanted to iron it because he didn't want her to waste her time doing so. There were a few creases here and there but overall it was wearable.

"It looks fine," he whispered to himself. Ren quickly slipped it on and started to button it up when there was another knock at the door. Without thinking he went to answer the door with his shirt partially open. An older woman stood patiently at the door, neatly dressed and now looking away blushing.

"I'm here to retrieve your dinning cart, sir," she said nervously and bowed down for two reasons: to show respect for the guest and to avoid looking at the astonishingly handsome man.

"Yes, thank you very much for coming so quickly," he said as he pulled the cart to the door. "The meal was delicious; please thank the chef for us."

"Yes, sir. I'm sure he would be pleased," she replied and took the cart, careful not to look at him should she faint. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Her eyes flickered to him, and she could feel her face grow hotter.

"No, thank you, we are fine," he replied. She bowed again and promptly left. Ren closed the door just as Kyoko reappeared.

"Tsuruga-san?" she called out when she didn't see him in the room.

"I'm here. The wait staff came to retrieve the cart," he told her as he walked back into the room. Kyoko turned towards him and instantly looked down blushing.

"You answered the door like that?" She asked him timidly.

"Um, yes. Why? I'm dressed," he said defensively as he finished buttoning up his shirt.

Kyoko laughed. "Tsuruga-san, you need to be more aware of how you look, and how you affect women," she teased. She returned to her previous task before breakfast and started unpacking again.

"How do you know it was a woman at the door?" Ren asked curiously.

She blushed realizing she was thinking of herself more than others. Thankfully, she was turned away from him. "I don't," she replied, "but even if it was another man, you should be careful. You can be very intimidating."

"Are you sure you're not thinking of Cain?"

She jumped at the nearness of his voice. She twisted her head up to find him hovering with an arm full of clothes. "I thought I would help," Ren offered. She turned back to the closet trying to beat down her bouncing heart.

"You don't have to do that, Tsuruga-san. I can manage," she spoke softly and turned towards him. She reached out to take the clothes when she looked at his shirt and then at the ironing board.

"I told you I would do that for you," she stated looking at all the wrinkles left over from his ironing. She took the pile from his arms and walked around him to dump the clothes on the closest bed. "Take it off, and I'll iron it really quick." She turned back towards him with an outstretched hand.

"It's fine, Mogami-san," he countered.

"But it's wrinkled. What will everyone say if you go to an interview or a shoot with a wrinkled shirt? It's unprofessional." She walked to the ironing board and turned on the iron again. "Just take it off. I promise you'll have it back before you even feel the cold."

"You're being silly. Simply wearing a suit jacket will wrinkle the shirt. Let me help you unpack, and then I can drive you where ever you need to go. We are not acting right now, Mogami-san," he protested.

"I…" Kyoko started to disagree but thought about it again. _Oh, God, I was doing it again, _she wanted to smack her self but refrained. _At least he thought I was acting as Setsu and not my true self. _

"You're right," she said with new resolution. She picked up the piles of clothes and pushed them into his arms. "It's so easy to slip back into character sometimes. I sometimes forget that you've lived on your own since you were my age," she turned off the iron as she spoke, "Though I think I've got you beat since I had to take care of a child alone at age 15."

"A child?" he asked a little baffled. _What child? Whose child?_

"Yeah… you know," she motioned her head in a random direction trying to indicate Sho without saying his name. She reached out for the first shirt in his arm and pulled it from his grip. Several others articles threatened to fall causing him to readjust quickly.

"Oh," recognition filled him and he laughed softly. "I really can't argue with you there." He held the next shirt out for her. "I don't think you can say I was living alone when I first started. I had Boss to help me until I made enough money to be on my own."

"Boss?" She took the next shirt as she asked him.

"Oh," Ren wanted to smack himself, 'Um, Takarada-san. My family calls him Boss."

"Hmm," Kyoko hummed as she hung up the shirt. She was eager to ask more about his family. She wondered about where they were and what they thought of their son being so famous in Japan. Though, perhaps they didn't want to be known, so the press wouldn't bother them. Tsuruga Ren was a stage name, surely it was protection for his family, but he didn't really seem happy about his little slip up. She pressed her lips together and decided to drop her inquisitiveness all together. She didn't want him upset.

She took another shirt and hung it up. "I never heard you call him that before today. It's very fitting," she finished with a little smile. She turned for another shirt. "I guess we are getting to see lots of new things about each other." She turned around to the closet as she spoke, "First the food and now a nickname."

"I believe the first was the water fight." He smiled sweetly. "You were very playful," he confessed. Her face turned ten different shades of red, and she couldn't turn around even after hanging up the shirt.

"Um, yeah. You were too," she reciprocated. She didn't really count that since she's seen his playful side before. He displayed that boyish face while playing the piano as Katsuki. It's been a while since she's last seen it, but it wasn't a first for her.

Ren gently held out the next shirt as he watched her carefully. She was so adorable, with her eyes cast downward and her cheeks flushed so delicately. She mumbled thanks as she took the shirt from his hand to hang up. Normally, doing mundane things such as this was a duty, something that had to be done with no real thought behind it, but as the pile in his arms dwindled, he grew sad. He never understood why his parents enjoyed cooking together so much, why it was such a mandatory event in his household. Now he understood. It wasn't the cooking, but something they could do together. Since cooking for Kuu took hours, it was hours spent together; happily playing and teasing or simply talking to the ones you love. Kyoko turned for another shirt and found Ren empty handed.

"All done," he said softly, "See that was much quicker, right?"

Kyoko looked up and swiftly looked down again careful not to swoon over such a sweet smile. She nodded and replied, "Yes, very much so." In fact it was too quick. Her mind was so consumed with his presence that she blinked, and they were done.

"Well I guess that leaves the dresser then," she quickly added. She turned and found Ren blocking her path to the bags and hesitated.

His hand itched to reach out to her and didn't realize she was waiting for him to move. As soon as he did, he moved to the side. She smiled shyly at him and walked past him to another bag. He rushed over and hastily took the bag before she could lift it.

"Allow me," he stated as he lifted the bag.

"Tsuruga-san, I'm not invalid. I can unpack everything just fine," she complained. She was actually a little flustered by his attentions which was making her nervous in effect making her snippy.

"It was never my intention to imply such a statement. I merely wanted to help, otherwise I would be sitting around watching you work until it was time to go. That wouldn't be very fun," he explained as he made room for the little duffle bag on the dresser and set it down.

"How is unpacking fun?" she asked with a little pout. It seemed that she surrendered though, since she walked up next to him and held out her hand for the first item.

"Oh, I don't know. I think this is a lot of fun," he spoke in a deep throaty voice. Kyoko frowned in confusion and turned to look at him. Ren was holding up a very tiny pair of lacy black panties between his fingers. Like lightening she snatched Setsu's panties from his hand and ripped the bag from his grip.

"PLEASE, allow me to unpack this bag ALONE," she cried while trying to hide her embarrassment.

Ren snickered softly. "I'm a little shocked, Mogami-san. I didn't think you would wear such… undergarments," he tried to say it calmly, to tease her a little without pushing the line of flirting. He was a little skeptical if he succeeded or not since he couldn't stop looking down at her bum trying to picture her in those panties.

"They are not mine! They are Setsu's," she said hastily while shoving the crude panties in a drawer.

"Yeah, but you're wearing her underwear now, right?" The way he said that caused Kyoko to look at him. She turned and found him not looking at her but down. She followed his eyes and found his eyes on her butt.

"TSURUGA REN!" Kyoko screamed, grabbing the bag off the dresser top and shoving it in front of her to block his view of where her panties would be. "What type of panties I am wearing is nothing you should be concerned about or imagining."

"Why?" Ren asked, again that deep sexy voice drawing her attention to his face. She felt herself start to tremble as she saw the Emperor look at her. She saw his arm move towards her but was too stunned to move. He touched the bag being held in front of her and lightly caressed it. "Would it shock you to know that I find you extremely attractive? That the idea of those on you is appealing to me?" he whispered huskily to her.

Kyoko didn't move or even try to speak. It wasn't for her lack of thinking, but simply that she didn't know how to respond. Did she thank him? It was a compliment, right? She wanted to deny it full heartedly, but that would make him angry or worse, try and prove to her just how attractive he thought she was. She wouldn't be able to handle it if he tried anything as Ren, her heart would just burst. She hugged the bag closer to her and shyly looked away.

"You should probably be going, Tsuruga-san," she murmured.

_Too far, _Ren grimaced. He should know better than to let himself go around her, it caused nothing but trouble for his eventual goal. He straightened up, his mask carefully reapplied over his emotions and smiled gently at her.

"Yes, I suppose you are right. Where are you going today? I have time to drive you anywhere you like," he offered. _See, nice gentle harmless Tsuruga Ren, no harm here what so ever Kyoko. _ _Please don't run away from me._

"Um, I…" she flustered for a second before answering, "I thought I would stay here for a little bit and then head to school around noon."

Ren frowned not understanding her logic. She'd have to go home to change into her uniform before heading to class. Daruma-ya is about a ten minute drive from here. "Why don't you…." He started and then stopped as comprehension filled in the blanks. He sighed internally and nodded softly. "Never mind, please be careful going home and then to school. I will see you again soon," he reported coldly. He turned to her for a moment, and she seemed to have calmed down but was still clutching the bag tightly against herself. He took a deep breath and softened his voice, "Call me if you need anything. Have a good day, Mogami-san."

Kyoko bowed slightly as she replied, "Thank you, Tsuruga-san. Please be careful and have a good day too."

Ren returned her bow with one of his own accompanied with a tiny smile, and turned to leave. His heart felt heavy, and he wanted nothing more than to turn back and explain things properly. He never thought himself to be optimistic, especially after that tragic day with Rick, but with her he could only live on with his hopes and dreams. However, it was times like this where he wondered if a day with her in his arms with her love would ever come. Her heart was not as closed off as she would like it to be, but it seemed that small part of her heart wouldn't extend to him, no matter how hard he tried to touch it. In fact, he seemed to make it recoil behind her walls. Was it futile to hope that one day she would crave his touch rather than fear it? He reached out and grasped the door handle gently as if it was something other than cold metal. He shook his head internally and opened the door.

"Tsuruga-san," she called out timidly, and he twisted towards her. She had set the bag down and was standing ram rod straight with her hands held together in front of her, the perfect lady.

"You won't forget to eat later today, right?" she asked with a soft worried voice.

He chuckled quietly and responded, "No, I promise I will eat. Bye, Mogami-san."

"Bye, bye," she said cutely, and he walked out the door. He closed it and shook his head. _One step forward, five steps back. What is that girl thinking?_

Kyoko collapsed on the floor in a strangled cry. "WAAAAHH! That was so scary," she screamed into her hands towards the floor. She could feel her whole body pulse with each and every overwhelming thump of her heart. It was more stressful being alone with Ren than it was flirting with Cain. Was she too suspicious? Did he notice her feelings? Oh, she would die if he ever found out. Suddenly she snapped up. What if he did find out? Did her face betray her when he told her she was attractive to him? She knew that her face was in flames when she thought about what was going through his mind.

"UGH!" she curled up into a ball on the floor again. "I'm so stupid!"

_I'm totally busted. He knows. He knows. _Kyoko groaned as a rain cloud of depression overshadowed her. _Perhaps that's why he was so cold when he left._

_No, he smiled when he left, _a little voice inside of her said. She stilled and tried to remember his smile. He was probably laughing AT her rather than it being a happy smile. She stood up, setting the smaller bag on the dresser top and glared at herself in the mirror.

"Foolish girl! How dare you have the audacity to fall in love with me, the most wanted man in Japan," Kyoko mimicked Ren perfectly. Her finger drooped as a heavy sigh escaped her lips. She shook her head and finished off her task. She stashed all of her bad girl underwear in another drawer, and finished off all the bags. She even ironed everything that needed to be so. She put away all the bathroom items and the hotel was the exact replica of the old one.

Kyoko casually walked home to Daruma-ya and greeted her landlords before heading upstairs so she wouldn't bother them as they set up for the lunch crowd.

"Oh, Kyoko-chan," the Okami-san called out making her halt with one foot on the first step.

"Yes?" Kyoko turned around to peek back into the kitchen.

"You got a delivery this morning," the sweet older woman said with a little knowing smile, "I put it upstairs in your room." Kyoko tilted her head in confusion and opened her mouth to ask what it was, but the woman just shooed her away, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

Kyoko was a little slower going up to her room. A delivery? What could it be? She wasn't expecting anything in the mail. There was food, but once again, she didn't order anything. Scripts? They would send those to LME. She approached the door and gently opened it as if something scary was going to pop out at her. Once the door was opened, she saw her… gift.

On her small table was a beautiful bouquet of pink roses and white calla lilies in a clear glass vase. Kyoko was dumbfounded and was convinced that they made a mistake. _They have to be for someone else._ She kneeled down on the floor, staring at the flowers. They were so beautiful, elegant even, especially the pure white trumpet-shaped flower. Behind one of the lilies was a simple white card with her name written messily. She gently plucked the card from the bouquet, careful not to mess up the arrangement and read it:

_Just because _

_I'll see you on Sunday _

_Hikaru_

Instead of a smile spreading across her lips, she pressed her lips together, trembling softly. Instead of feeling happy at the sweet gift, she felt guilty. _Hikaru_. Kyoko didn't think about him once until now. Her mind completely consumed by Setsu and her brother - of Ren. She looked up at the flowers and felt her eyes start to tear up. This isn't the way things are suppose to happen. She was supposed to be happy, figuring out her life, living it to its fullest with people she can finally call friends. She always thought that perhaps LoveMe would help her grow in accepting love and perhaps eventually she would learn to love everyone but never again in a romantic way. Yet, she found herself desiring once again, hoping for something more that is beyond incomprehensible. Even knowing the fate she had in an unrequited love, she still thought of him instead of someone who could love her back.

"You are an idiot," Kyoko spoke to herself. She touched the closest flower and felt the first tear fall down her cheek. "You are a stupid, boring woman, who has nothing but love on her mind," she repeated Sho's words back to herself as guilt and shame filled her. Unexpectedly, there was a soft knock at the door. She quickly wiped up her tears as the Okami-san came in.

"Aren't they lovely? He is such a sweet young man," Okami-san said endearingly.

Kyoko forced herself to smile brightly even if her eyes were a little red. "They are, and he is," she said softly, looking at the flowers. _I don't deserve someone as sweet as him._ She thought to herself sadly.

"By the way, how did your date with him go?" Okami-san asked excitedly. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to speak to you after your date. You came and left so quickly and during the dinner rush."

"Oh please don't apologize," Kyoko quickly retorted, "You are very busy, and I wouldn't want to disrupt your business because of my dates." Kyoko was blushing softly slightly embarrassed about the topic but still very happy that someone asked about it.

The older woman smiled affectionately to the young girl and then laughed when Kyoko didn't continue so she asked again, "Well, child? How was the date? Did he treat you well? Was he a perfect gentleman?"

Kyoko laughed at the woman who wanted a little gossip. "He was a courteous and honorable man throughout the date," she said with a flare of grace as if they were proper royal ladies chatting over tea. She laughed lighting up the mood and continued, "He was just like you said, very sweet and funny. He took me for a ride on his bike, and…"

"Oh," Okami-san interrupted and leaned in to whisper softly, "my husband did not like that bike. He was safe with you, yes?" She asked softly, trying not to let the worry show too much.

Kyoko smiled and nodded softly, "Yes, I was scared at first, but that was why we went for a ride, to help me get use to it. He was very careful and even gave me a helmet." The Okami-san nodded satisfied and urged her to continue. Kyoko relayed the date to her mother figure with enthusiasm and shared laughs. With the flowers and conversation, she completely forgot about going to class.


	6. The Offer

Chapter 6

By the time Kyoko checked her messages, it was far too late to go into LME to see what offer had come in. She went to LME dressed in her school uniform wanting to make up some time from yesterday; however, as soon as she saw the offer, school was the last thing on her mind.

"A romance?" Kyoko said for the sixteenth time.

"Yes, it is a romantic comedy," Sawara stated. "This is your first protagonist role, Mogami-san. They are looking for a new face, and they saw you on the Dark Moon Special next to Tsuruga-san. They thought you complimented him well." Sawara stopped when he heard a squeak or yelp from the girl. He looked up from his paperwork and jumped out of his desk in concern. "Breathe, Mogami-san, breathe!" he shouted to her and patted her back forcing air into her comatose body.

"Tsuruga-san would be my co-star?" Kyoko asked as she turned huge frightened, wide eyes up at Sawara.

He coughed at the odd reactions this girl had and answered, "Well, most likely no. He was given the offer, but Yashiro-san mentioned the unlikelihood of saying yes to it. Still, he hasn't said no, so it's still a possibility. The due date is two weeks away." Sawara looked at her seriously making her respond in kind. "I encourage you to seriously think about this offer, Mogami-san. Whether or not Tsuruga-san takes the role or not, you need to think about how this will affect you and only you. It is not very often that they take a chance on a new actress on a film such as this. This could mean your debut and the fame you have been aspiring for. Both of you are going to have to try your hardest to get this role," Sawara finished.

"Both of us?" Kyoko asked confused.

"Yes, you will have to audition for the part," Sawara told as he returned to his seat behind his desk.

"Tsuruga-san has to audition for the lead?" Kyoko asked in amazement. She didn't think a star like him would have to audition for anything but to simply say yes.

"What?" Sawara replied confused and then shook his head, "No. Kotonami-san and yourself."

"Moko-san got this offer too?" Kyoko asked excitedly.

"Yes, well," Sawara coughed not wanting to say what truly happened. He received a request for both of the girls to audition. Since it involved the LoveMe girls the offer went straight to Lory to review. The role involved both the love of family and a man. He allowed Kanae to review it. She did very well with her mission and felt she deserved the chance at the role. Kyoko, however, still hadn't reported in or shown enough progression with her issues, that is until now. When Lory gave her the okay, Sawara called her up, though he felt a little guilty that he didn't tell her before her friend. "...well, they sent out several offers to a new actresses that fit their character's type. Kotonami-san was one of them."

"Their type?" Kyoko asked while reading over the offer. She would be playing Miyamoto Aika, the only daughter of a very wealthy businessman who wanted to become a pro bono lawyer; however her father wanted her to be subservient and agree to an arranged marriage to better the company. Aika was very strong willed and determined to live her life and refused. The story would follow her falling in love and trying to prove to her father that she should live her life. Due to her upbringing in high society, Aika was also extremely sociable and loves attention. She's loud, opinionated, and somewhat spoiled. Kyoko smiled as she read this. _It's no wonder they wanted Moko-san, _she giggled to herself.

Obviously distracted by the offer, Sawara figured the meeting was over and ended it. "Please think it over. You have two weeks before the audition. All you need to do is show up and try your best if you want the role."

Kyoko nodded and left deep in thought. This was a movie role, her first one ever. Yet, it was also a romantic comedy, and the mere thought of that scared her out of her wits. Why would they believe that she could fulfill this role was beyond her, but she was also oddly excited by the possibility. She found herself walking to the LoveMe room instead of out to where her bike was parked so she could go to school. No one was in the room when she entered, so she proceeded to sit on one of the benches and read the offer again.

It would start in a month, two weeks after the audition. Kyoko quickly started doing the math to see if she even had the time to do it. This was a light hearted comedy so most of the filming would be done during the day versus the time spent as Setsuka during the evening. Then there was still Box R which was also during the day; however she was the antagonist of the show meaning she wasn't needed as often as Chitose. There was also Bo, but none of the shows she was cast for minded her doing a routine show. They liked the predictability of it. The only question left was when was she going to sleep?

At this moment, she wished she had a manager, or at least a day planner with all of Yashiro's tidy information. The thought of Yashiro brought to mind another problem. There was a possibility that her co-star, her love interest, was going to be Ren. A shiver ran down her spine as the thought ran across her mind. She wasn't sure if it was due to fear or something else completely but the notion of it did give her pause. She knew her goal, knew that she wanted to act opposite him in a real role to prove that she could not be manipulated by his acting. Yet, as time progressed and she got to know him more, the more he seemed to move further and further out of her professional reach. He was growing faster that she was as an actor.

"How can I compete with that?" Kyoko asked herself.

"Compete with what?"

Kyoko turned to the voice that asked and her heart and body flew to her.

"MOKO-SAN!"

Kanae flinched at the scream but kept her cool and side stepped the flying hug attack. Kyoko collapsed to the ground finding nothing where her best friend was standing. "Good morning," Kanae replied as she walked to her locker, and Kyoko picked herself back up.

"How are you Moko-san? I haven't seen you in forever!" Kyoko whined as she sat back down. Kanae glanced at Kyoko as she put away her things and could have sworn she saw a fluffy tail wagging behind her best friend. Kanae smirked into her locker careful not to show her happiness at meeting with Kyoko again. She was thankful that the issues Kyoko were going through by falling in love again seemed to have disappeared at least for a moment.

"Everything is fine with me except you ignoring my question. What or who are you competing with?" Kanae asked. Kyoko blushed behind Kanae's back and quickly tried to think of anything but the truth. Then she remembered what Sawara-san said.

"You!" Kyoko happily announced. Kanae turned around at her confused then looked at the paper and scripted on Kyoko's lap. She rose an eye brow shocked that they actually gave her that scripted.

"So you are going to audition?" Kanae asked casually as she started to step into her pick overalls.

Kyoko hesitated looking down at the paper in her lap. "Well, I'm not sure yet. I just got the offer, so I haven't read the script yet. Sawara-san told me I had two weeks before the audition and to show up if I wanted it," Kyoko said a little unsure and looked at Kanae. She was zipping up her jumper but didn't give Kyoko much to read other than that she was listening.

"Are you going to audition, Moko-san?" Kyoko asked timidly.

"Absolutely," Kanae replied automatically. She sat down next to Kyoko and continued, "This is a movie. A film that is going to be released nationwide, not limited. There is no way that anyone is going to keep me from auditioning. Then if Tsuruga-san really says yes to being the male lead, I know everyone in Japan will watch it and therefore me. This will shoot me to the top faster than waiting to get out of LoveMe." Kanae stopped to look at Kyoko who was being extremely quiet for being Kyoko. She watched her for a moment and then sighed loudly.

"I'll leave you to read the script then," Kanae said, stood up and stretched. "It's a good story, one that would appeal to a whole lot of people. Aika is well thought out and would be interesting to play, something completely different to what I'm use to." Kanae peeked at Kyoko with a little smirk, knowing that the character would appeal to her. Well anything not villainy would appear to Kyoko. Kanae bent down to catch Kyoko's attention. Kyoko looked up at her perplexed, and Kanae grinned as she spoke, "Let me know what you decide, so I can prepare."

"Prepare? How?" Kyoko asked.

Kanae stood up as if she needed to think about it. "Because if you say no, then I know the part is mine," Kanae said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. Kyoko blinked at her as her mind tried to sort out her words. Kanae started walking towards the door as she continued, "However, if you say yes, then I'm going to have a tough time trying to get the part."

Kyoko watched her leave, the door closing behind Kanae as she spoke the last few words. She blinked at the door as if she could still see Kanae, the words processing in her head. Suddenly the corner of Kyoko's lip started to twitch and then her lips curved into a full blown smile. She giggled and hid her blushing face behind the script in her hand as she finally understood and accepted the best compliment she has ever gotten from anyone.


	7. Sunday Night

**A/N: I do Not own Skip Beat! or Christ on Cafe. Yes, it's a real restaurant, found it online. **

Chapter 7

_Sunday Night..._

"I look like a doily," Kyoko said to her image in the mirror. She turned left then right, looking at the dress she wore for tonight's date with Hikaru. It looked pretty when she first tried it on, but now it seems all wrong. It was a black and beige form fitting dress. It looked like two dresses in one, a beige eyelet dress in a very elaborate see-through pattern with a simple black dress underneath. It was actually very pretty, and Kyoko looked great but in her eyes nothing would look good.

It didn't really matter what she thought of it, since Hikaru would be here any minute now. She didn't have enough time to change again or did she? She glanced at the clock. _There is five minutes left, I can…_ There was a knock at her bedroom door. _Nevermind. _

Kyoko grabbed her purse and opened the door. The Okami-san was there with a very sweet smile. The caring older woman announced the arrival of her date and that she hoped she had a good time. Since it was the start of the dinner crowed, Kyoko said her goodbyes then and there. Once the Okami-san was gone, she picked up her black open toed flats and headed down stairs.

She smiled softly as she saw him. Hikaru was wearing a simple white button up dress shirt with dark brown slacks. He was standing casually, waiting patiently at the side door. Everyone was too busy to entertain him, and he didn't want to be a bother, so he stayed there. The moment she came into his view, his whole face lit up with such a radiant smile.

"You look beautiful, Kyoko," he said softly with a hint of awe.

Kyoko blushed lightly. "Thank you, Hikaru-kun. You look very nice too. Though I have to admit, I'm a little worried about going out on your motorcycle in a dress. Why did you ask me to wear one?" She asked as she slipped on her shoes.

"Hikaru, no kun" he reminded her and then grinned and addressed her concern, "Because we aren't going on my bike. I got a car for us tonight." He reached into his pocket and took out a 500 yen coin. "This is for you," he said and handed her the coin.

"Why? I don't need any money," she stated confused and tried to hand the coin back to him.

He laughed. "It's for tonight. That is going to be the fate of our date, though you can keep it if you like. It's only 500 yen," he explained. Kyoko became more confused causing him to laugh again. "Come on, I'll explain it in the car." He opened the door for her, and they set out.

"Okay," he started once in the car. "Tonight's date is up to destiny. As soon as we drive to the first intersection, you are going to flip the coin. If you get heads, we go right. If it's tails, we go left. Then we'll drive down the street for a little bit, and we will flip the coin again for any place that looks interesting, Tails for yes, Heads for no. So first thing first, are you hungry or do you want to have some fun first?"

Kyoko thought this whole idea was strange but thought about his question. "I'm a little hungry."

"Alright, so we will drive and at the first restaurant we see, you flip the coin. Deal?" He asked her enthusiastically. His smile and humor was so contagious that she nodded with a rather excited expression herself. He started the car and pulled out of the parking garage.

"Do I flip now?" Kyoko asked as Hikaru was trying to find an opening in traffic.

He grinned loving that she was already loving the idea. "Can't. It's a one way street. As soon as we have the option, you can flip it." Kyoko blushed, embarrassed at the obliviously stupid question. Hikaru drove down the street until they came upon a stop sign with a two way street.

"Okay, now flip," he ordered. She light tossed the coin in the air and caught it with both hands.

"Heads! So that means right," Kyoko announced.

"Alright, let's drive for a minute and then we can see what is available," he turned right and found groceries stores, some apartment complexes and small outdoor shopping strip.

"Do you see anything yet?" Hikaru was going to have to depend on Kyoko's eyes for this, since he had to make sure not to run over anything. Safety was priority, but he kept an eye out.

"Oh, there is a fast food place. Do those count?" She asked curiously.

"That depends. Do you want to eat at one?" He glanced at her and saw her cringe slightly making him laugh. "That's a no. So no, let's go somewhere a little better for us. There!" he pointed up ahead, "that looks like a restaurant. Flip it." Kyoko quickly flipped it and got heads again.

"Heads so that's a no," she pouted. She glanced up and smiled. "Oh but there's another one." She flipped the coin again. Heads. "No, destiny likes heads."

He smiled. "Okay, there is one more on our left and then a light. So let's flip for that and if we get another heads we'll take a turn." She quickly flipped the coin.

"Tails! Yes! Where are we going?" She asked playfully.

"Um, Christ on Café. Yeah, I have no clue what that is, but it says Italian cuisine under the little red cross. You still game?" Hikaru asked hesitantly. He wanted her to have fun with this but at the same time didn't want to force her into something she didn't want to do. He would always allow her the presidential veto where ever they go.

"Of course, we can't go against destiny, and the mighty 500 yen coin has decided we should eat there," she said with conviction raising the coin like a precious item in the air. Hikaru laughed out, and Kyoko joined him as they pulled into the parking lot. They found their way into the restaurant and were momentarily stunned. It was a lot bigger inside than it looked outside. It was very bright with two extremely elaborate colorful chandeliers hanging on the ceiling with a small mock picture of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling between them. Though that wasn't the only light, next to the two massive chandeliers where parallel lines of small gold chandeliers.

After they noticed the lighting, they saw the decorations. It was modeled like a showbiz Christian church, with dozens of crosses, picture and statues of saints and of Christ. There were fake candles next to shrines as if they were available for lighting. It was all very flashy. The most normal part was the furniture, beautiful white tables with overstuffed white chairs and couches were available as seating, but they also had traditional wooden chairs with smaller round glass top tables.

"Wow," Kyoko whispered as she tried to take in everything.

"Yeah," Hikaru replied a little worried. The sign made a lot more sense now but he was worried about Kyoko's religious views now. Would she be offended by this? He, himself, wasn't Christian, and he didn't know many to begin with. He turned to give her another out but found her already speaking with the hostess.

"Yes, two for dinner, please," Kyoko said politely. The hostess smiled and took up two menus.

"Would you like one of the private booths?" She asked. "We have one left for this evening."

"Yes, we'll take it," Hikaru finally caught up and answered before Kyoko would have the chance to deny it.

"Follow me, please," the young hostess said and led the way to the little room. It was a pure dark red, a dark contrast to the rest of the areas with red curtains for privacy. The little room could easily fit four people comfortably or six without much effort. It seemed a little much for just the two of them, yet at the same time, she would love it if more restaurants had this type of privacy for her work dinners with..._Stop it. _Kyoko pressed her lips together and reminded herself who she was with.

Kyoko sat down first, and Hikaru quickly followed her on the same side. While there was more than enough room, she was a little self conscious about the seating. The hostess bid them a wonderful dinner and left them with their menus. They featured a lot of salads and seafood pastas. They even had pizza which Hikaru, thankfully, didn't order. She ordered the clam pasta, and he got the daring Tagliolini de Mare, which was cherry stone clams, sea scallops, calamari, shrimp and mussels in a tomato and white wine sauce topped on fresh-made squid ink taglioline. When the plate came, there was more random seafood than pasta.

"I'm happy to see you aren't on that diet anymore. Maybe next time you would be willing to try the okonomi-anpan?" He joked.

Kyoko quickly shook her head while laughing. "No way. Sorry Hikaru, but I will never touch that fat bomb. I'm sure it is delicious, but I'll take your word for it."

"Aww, where's your sense of adventure?" Hikaru teased.

"I'm came here, didn't I," she said defensively. "However, I believe your thirst for new things is much greater than mine. Do you do this flip coin game often?" Kyoko thought the game was fun and would have never entered this place if it wasn't for the game, but she was curious what brought it up.

He blushed suddenly. "No, this is the first time. To be honest, I was so nervous about tonight that I couldn't think of where to go in the short amount of time we have. Plus, I thought it would be fun. I love trying new things or new places, because there is always something new to learn. When you stop learning, then it's time to die."

Kyoko's eyes widened at that life philosophy. "Isn't that a little harsh?" she asked baffled as she started to eat.

Hikaru smiled. "Not at all because we learn something new every day. Can you honestly tell me you didn't learn something new today?"

She thought about it. Today was actually very uneventful. She was probably as nervous about tonight's date as Hikaru was. She spent most of the day digging through her closet and trying things on. She was stressing out so much in fact that the Okami-san came in and helped her when it was slow down stairs. A soft smile spread across Kyoko's lips when the Okami-san started telling Kyoko about her first date with her husband. She found out that the Taisho was actually a wonderful singer and serenaded her at a karaoke bar. She nodded replying to Hikaru's question and then frowned.

"What if it's just about a person?" she asked.

"That's fine. People are the most interesting subjects to learn. Like today, I found out someone can make eating pasta the most elegant thing in the world," he confessed with a charming smile.

Kyoko froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. She glanced at him puzzled and then looked at her fork and blushed. "I do not," she flustered and set her fork down in embarrassment.

He chuckled softly and responded, "Yeah, you do. I didn't think anyone could eat noodles without getting everything all over their face or table. My sisters are terrible compared to you. Where did you learn to eat like that?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, unable to find an answer. She shook her head and laughed softly. "I don't know, Hikaru. I just eat," she said bashfully, her hands cupped her heated cheeks. "You're embarrassing me," she admitted.

Hikaru's smile widened and a look of pure adoration shinned on his face as he looked at her. He reached over and gently caressed her hair line next to her temple causing her to look over at him. Her eyes widened as she took in his expression. She curled her hands against her cheeks and slowly lowered them down. She took a small breath as he leaned in to kiss her.

She closed her eyes as his feathery touch brushed across her lips. He pulled away only slightly enough for him to whisper, "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Kyoko." He kissed her again as his fingers combed through her hair tenderly. He was so very sweet and gentle, unlike R...

_NO! _She screamed in her head, and a dark handsome image shattered in her mind.

They continued their dinner and conversation about learning new things, and Kyoko was absolutely stunned at everything that he has done: rock climbing, skiing, snow boarding, surfing, wind surfing, hiking, mountain biking, paint ball. He's played almost every sport imaginable for fun: football, American football, tennis, roller hockey, track, even basketball. Out of all the sports he played, baseball was his favorite.

Kyoko smiled as Hikaru turned back to his meal. She looked at him and remembered her new offer and was eager to tell him. "Well, I've got some news if you would like to learn something else?"

"Absolutely! What is it?" He asked with excited curiosity.

"I got a offer for a movie, like a large full screen production," Kyoko said with a nervous glee. She told him the plot and all about the character that she would be playing.

"That's wonderful!" Hikaru immediately congratulated her and asked, "When do you start?" Then he frowned as he thought of something else and added, "Are you going to have to quit being Bo?"

Kyoko laughed and shook her head. "No, I can still be Bo," she replied making Hikaru beam a bright smile. She responded in kind but not as sincerely as she continued, "I actually haven't gotten the role yet. I need to audition for it first."

Hikaru frowned again. "But I thought they offered you the role, doesn't that mean it's technically yours if you say yes?"

"Um," Kyoko had to think about it, "No, I guess not. Sawara-san told me that they offered it to several new actresses, stating that they wanted a new face. I suppose that they want to test out the new talent before they pick the lead actress."

"Well, that makes sense, I guess," he reluctantly agreed. "Are they doing the same for the male lead?"

"No, but he hasn't agreed to playing the part yet," Kyoko said purposing omitting Ren's name.

"Well, that's not really fair. Who is it that they would offer no competition to him but make you jump through hoops for the role?" Hikaru said almost angrily as he defended Kyoko.

"No, that's not how it is, Hikaru. It's understandable that they would make new actresses audition for the role. This role will be a huge break for anyone who plays in it. They are giving us a chance to debut and become famous. Of course, we have to work for it. They can't hand it out without us proving ourselves first," Kyoko tried to defend the casting directors making Hikaru shake his head.

"Alright, I think you are talented enough to not need an audition, but I guess it doesn't really matter since you'll get the role if you really want it," he complimented her making Kyoko blush and shake her head in modesty.

"So who is the actor?" Hikaru asked again.

"I don't know, no one has accepted it yet," Kyoko again dodged the answer.

"Okay, so who did they offer it to?" Hikaru tried again.

Kyoko hesitated, not wanting to tell him who it was she was going to act opposite with but couldn't find a way out of answering the question. "Tsuruga Ren," she finally stated.

"Wow, really?" Hikaru said impressed which gave Kyoko a little shock. "Okay, I can see why they wouldn't make him audition for the role," he said and then sat thinking about it. Kyoko was waiting, a pregnant pause of dread filled her as Hikaru sat silently. Finally he spoke, "You know if you get this part, everyone in Japan will see it. You'll be an overnight success! I really hope you get it, Kyoko. We will celebrate when they give you the real offer."

Stunned again. Kyoko didn't understand why, but a huge sense of relief filled her as Hikaru seemed to embrace the fact that Ren would be her romantic lead. She thought for certain that he would be... _Angry? Hurt? Jealous? _Her mind really couldn't settle on an expected emotion but excitement wasn't one of them.

Soon dinner was over and for once Kyoko didn't object when Hikaru paid for the meal. When they climbed into the car again, she took out the coin to take them to their next destination. This time their goal was entertainment. This took a little longer since it was a little difficult to tell if a place was to entertain or shop. The mighty 500 yen coin rejected a park, a karaoke bar and a dance club. What did destiny want them to do?

Play video games.

They arrived at a very large arcade, one with a restaurant, a bar, hundreds of video games and table games.

"Hey, want to play pool?" Hikaru asked as soon as he noticed the tables. There were four of them and only two of them were currently taken, one by a group of three guys, the other by what looked like a gokon, or a group date.

"Um, I don't know how," Kyoko replied loudly, trying to be heard over the random noise of the games.

"I'll teach you. I'm not the greatest at it, but I can play," he said with a cheery smile. Remembering his little rule about learning new things, she promptly nodded. They went over to the counter and purchased an hour of play. They received their cue ball, some tokens and their two weapons of choice.

"Alright," Hikaru started. He used one of the tokens to release all the balls for the table and started racking them up. "We will keep it simple. The object of the game is to sink all of your balls and finally the black 8 ball into these pockets." He showed her the black 8 ball and indicated the pockets as he spoke. Once all the colored balls were in place, he carefully removed the wooden triangle frame and put it away. He walked over with a pure white ball in hand.

"This is the cue ball. This is the only ball you are allowed to touch with your cue stick," he explained and gestured to the stick in her hands. "Use your cue stick to strike the cue ball and hit your desired target, pushing it into one of the pockets." He was looking at the table as he explained so he didn't notice the complete lack of understanding on her face until he glanced at her.

He smiled brightly. "Okay, let's get started, and I'll show you along the way. Maybe it will be easier if you see it." She smiled weakly at him but nodded.

"The first thing is the break. We take the cue ball," he lifted the cue ball up allowing her to see it, "place it before these first set of diamond on the side of the table here," again he showed her what the little diamond markers he was talking about, "It doesn't matter where as long as it doesn't go past those markers," he explained and set the cue ball directly in front of the triangle of colored balls.

"Take your cue stick, hold it like so…." He leaned over the table, took his left hand on the table and rested the smaller end of the cue stick on a little V created by his thumb and the knuckle of his forefinger. "Take aim and drive the cue stick into the ball." He pushed the stick with his right hand which was placed at the far end of the stick into the center of the cue ball and sent it crashing into the cluster with a large crack.

The balls went everywhere on the table, but none of them went into a single pocket. Hikaru frowned. "Ideally, something should have went in," he stated with a little blush. "I told you I wasn't that great," he admitted with a smile. Kyoko smiled at him feeling a little better that he wasn't great at the game, not that she would know the difference.

"If you didn't notice before, there are two types of balls on the table, striped and solid. If something went in like it was supposed to, which ever type that was sunk, would be the ones I would go for while the others would be yours. Right now, we have an open table, so the first one to sink any of the balls OTHER than the black 8 ball or the cue ball, gets to claim that group." He stopped talking and looked at the table, then suddenly pointed at an orange 13 ball.

"Okay look at this one. Come here," he unconsciously wrapped his arm around her waist and walked her to the other corner of the table. He pushed her back to bend over the table. "Line up your eyes with Ball 13 and the cue ball in front of you. You can see that there is a straight line going from the cue ball to the pocket with only Ball 13 in the middle. This is an ideal shot, straight, no tricks or anything in the way." They both stood up, and he looked at her. "Would you like to try it?"

Kyoko glanced at him and then at the shot and grew concerned. "I'm not sure I can," she admitted shyly.

"Would you mind if I helped you?" Hikaru asked cautiously.

"Please," she responded, making him smile brightly.

"Alright, place your left hand on the table. There are lots of ways to rest the cute stick, but I'll show you the two that I know," he started to explain and morphed her hand exactly the way he was holding it. "You can raise your knuckles up or down so you can change the angle the stick will strike the ball. The pros will sometimes hit it in such a sharp angle that will make the ball bounce over one and hit the one behind it."

Kyoko turned a shocked face to him and asked, "Can you do that?"

He laughed. "No way, unless you want it to land on the floor," he said jokingly. Kyoko smiled and played with her hand, raising it up and down. "Now the other way is to use your fingertips on the table like this." He lifted her hand again with her pinky, ring and middle finger on the table and continued, "Now rest the stick on your middle finger and wrap your index finger around the stick." He manipulated her fingers to do as he specified. "Your thumb will stay under the stick. Again you can lower or heighten your fingers to change the angle. For this shot, you want to strike it dead center of the ball."

As Kyoko was trying to figure out the center of the ball, she felt Hikaru step up next to her. She turned towards him and found him leaning over her with his arm wrapping around her intimately. She was about to stand up and ask what he was doing until his hand joined hers at the front of the cue stick and at the back. He was going to take the shot with her. She looked around the room and noticed that no one seemed to care that he was so very close to her. Okay, he was practically on top of her. Her heart started to race as the breath of his words caressed next to her face.

"To aim, you can move the cue stick in any direction and it will make the ball go where you strike it. If you make the impact of the ball towards the left," he gently pushed the stick forward, the smooth polished stick sliding between both of their fingers slowly until the tip was right next to the cue ball on its far left side, "The ball with shoot to the right since you pushed it that way." Hikaru pulled back the cue just a little, taking her right arm with him. He leaned in closer to her, and she could feel the hard contours of his body press against her side. His hip was now pressing against the curve of her butt and his dress slacks were tickling her bare legs.

If she didn't know better, she would have thought he planned all this.

"Same goes for the right, too much and you will make it go left," he told her as he demonstrated. "As for height, well, too low and you can scratch or bounce the ball off the table. Too high and you might miss. I'm sure there are other reasons but that's my experience so far," he said with a little chuckle, the laugh causing his chest to rumble and reverberate down her body.

"Okay, so in the middle," he whispered. He pulled back the cue stick, his arm perfectly curled down the length of her arm. "Line up the shot, your eye is focused into a straight line from your ball to the pocket with Ball 13 in the middle." Kyoko decided to try and ignore his close contact and focus on the task. She felt that she was off center to create a straight line and made adjustments; however, this meant that she had to move closer to Hikaru. She looked down and placed her foot between his spread apart feet and shifted her body further underneath him.

Hikaru inhaled sharply as Kyoko pressed her little body into him, her hips grazing the front of his pants in a very nice way. If she noticed his reaction to her movement, she didn't respond. Before he came to, she was already taking the shot. She slammed the cue stick into the cue ball as hard as she could driving both Ball 13 and the cue ball into the pocket.

"I did it!" She yelled out and jumped up excitedly, forcing Hikaru to quickly move back before she smacked him.

He grinned at her. "That was great, but do it with a lot less force," he told her as he moved around the table to get the cue ball. "You don't want to sink the cue ball, just the intended ball. If a person sinks the cue ball at any time, they lose their turn even though they sunk a shot."

"Oh, okay," she pouted, almost making him groan at her cuteness.

"You sunk a striped ball, so all the stripped balls are yours. Ignore everything but the stripped balls. I will work down the solid ones. To win the game, you need to sink all of your designated balls and then finally the black 8 ball here." He walked back to Kyoko and handed her the cue ball then pointed to the 8 ball.

"But that is solid," she countered.

"That's true. I have no idea why we do it this way, but that's the way I was taught," he said with a laugh. "I do know that if you sink the 8 ball before you are ready to, you lose the game, not just a turn like you would for the cue ball."

"Okay. No 8 ball then," she repeated as she tried to remember all the rules. As soon as she finished, a waitress came up to their table.

"Hi, would you to like anything to drink?" she asked with a cheery smile.

"Um, water please," Kyoko requested.

"Golden Cola," Hikaru said.

"The bar is open if you two prefer something stronger," the waitress offered and both shook their heads.

Kyoko looked at him curiously. She wasn't old enough to drink but he certainly was. "You can drink if you like, Hikaru. I don't mind," she told him honestly.

"Ah," he started with a little blush, "I'm not really much of a drinker. For one, I think sake tastes awful, and two, one drink and I'm pretty much gone." He flushed as he admitted his weakness to alcohol. That wasn't cool, right? A man was supposed to be able to handle his alcohol.

Kyoko laughed softly as he blushed in embarrassment. _He's so cute. _She thought sweetly. It was kind of nice knowing that he wasn't much of a drinker. Ren drinks so much as Cain, it was sort of frightening how much he could handle. Though, it never seemed to faze him.

"Well, you sunk the shot, so that means you can go again. You can put the cue ball anywhere before this point," Hikaru told her, indicating the spot and snapping her out of her thoughts. She sighed internally. _No thinking of him, Kyoko. _

She turned to Hikaru confused and asked, "But I also sunk the cue ball, so I lose a turn, right?"

He smiled. "Yeah, but you didn't know that, so I'll give you a pass."

Kyoko frowned at him suspiciously. "Are you playing favorites?"

"Maybe," he admitted with a sly smile. "Why?"

"You shouldn't go easy on me just because I don't know how to play. How will I learn the game if you don't teach me properly," she whined cutely making Hikaru chuckle.

"Well," he drawled out the word, "Maybe I'm going easy on you because I like you so much. Would that be okay?"

Kyoko blushed and quickly shook her head. Hikaru sighed and took the ball from her hand. The game continued, and Kyoko knew Hikaru was playing badly just for her sake. He goofed and played around with her and the shots, making them do all sorts of crazy things while explaining different things.

The next table over with the three men were started to get rowdy, drawing everyone's attention every few minutes. The three were eagerly partaking of the bar's services and were not slowing down for one second. Kyoko tried her best to ignore them, focusing on what ball to aim for. She ended up on the far side of the table closest to the disruptive group and bent over for the shot.

Hikaru's eyes flickered back and forth to the girl of his dreams to the three men leering at her backside. He knew the appeal of that sight since he has been trying to place himself in constant view of it. He thought fate was on his side tonight with how short and tight that dress was. It was like the start of a wet dream for him; however, he quickly realized that he wasn't the only one that appreciated the view. He watched the three other guys stop playing completely and openly stare at her as she bent over for the shot.

Kyoko was concentrating so much; she didn't notice what was happening around her until she felt someone touch her back side. She quickly jumped in shock and found Hikaru's back touching her back and a much bigger man in front of him.

"What? I was just going to introduce myself," the other man said with a sneer. Kyoko hid behind Hikaru as best as she could, looking over his shoulder at the other man. It was obvious he was drinking and said drinks were making him bold, stupid and smell bad.

"Ah, please allow me," Hikaru stated with no false pretence. He was wary and on high alert. "This is my girlfriend, and I am her boyfriend. It was not nice to meet you, and I would appreciate it if you just left us alone," he said fiercely.

"That wasn't nice. Here I am trying to be civil, and you are being so rude," he said casually as if it didn't bother him at all. His eyes found hers making him smile an ugly smile and blow her a kiss. Kyoko looked away in disgust. She clenched Hikaru's shirt tightly behind him and hid her face between his shoulder blades.

"Hikaru, let's just leave," she pleaded softly. She saw movement to her right with the other table. They were all watching the show with fear and apprehension, one of the girls had left, running out of the room.

"Aww, we don't want you to go, do we boys?" The leader said causing his two friends to come to his aid. "We just wanted to talk, ask you if you would like to learn from a better teacher. This kid barely knows how to play. We can teach you all kinds of tricks, sweet cheeks."

"Don't call her that," Hikaru threatened.

"Why not?" The awful man asked, laughing boisterously. He leaned in, causing Hikaru to draw his arm back trying to shield Kyoko even further. "You and I both know what a fine piece of ass she is. I saw you stealing glances of her all night. You can't really blame us."

Now Hikaru was angry making all of her anger demons come bursting out wanting to feed. Hikaru shifted under her hands, and she looked up to see him gripping the other man's shirt angrily.

"Don't talk about her like that, you piece of shit," Hikaru growled and shoved him off. The man instantly went into a rage, came back and punched Hikaru with a right hook.

"HIKARU!" Kyoko screamed in a panic. Hikaru didn't fall, but swayed to the left and forced himself back in front of her, forcing his arms back to keep her behind him. The fact that the drunken man didn't take him out in one hit just further infuriated him.

"You stupid little fuck," the man cursed and pulled his arm back to strike again. Kyoko quickly braced herself, hid her head behind his back and wrapped her arms around Hikaru's waist for support. Her eyes were tightly closed and was squeezing tightly but didn't feel the next impact.

"You need to leave, now," another voice said sternly. Everyone turned to find a security guard at the billiard's entrance with the girl that left standing behind him. She went to get help, and Kyoko has never been so happy with anyone in her life. The three men snarled in disappointment but left quietly. Even with their inhibitions lowered, they knew when to quit or when something was simply too much trouble. The guard escorted them out of the building and everyone started moving again.

"Hikaru!" Kyoko quickly stepped in front of him to examine at his face. "You shouldn't have done that. You are already swelling! We could have just left. I think you might get a black eye. You really shouldn't have done that," she cried as she fussed over him.

Hikaru wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her. "I'm not going to let anyone talk to you like that. I'll go to any lengths to keep you safe," he whispered. He pulled away gently to look at her face and asked uneasily, "Are you okay?"

She sighed but smiled in his arms and hugged him back. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you," she affirmed.

Suddenly he blushed, "About what they said…" he paused as she looked confused. He blushed harder knowing he would have to continue. "about me… stealing glances… at you," he murmured embarrassed.

"Oh," Kyoko said, blushing brightly, "well, we are dating so…" her voice weakened to a very soft whisper, "it's okay." She finished but wasn't able to look up to his face. Hikaru grinned and stole a quick kiss making her blush even harder.

Management of the place came up to them after the commotion and gave them a voucher for four hours of free play on their next visit and returned their money back for tonight. Hikaru accepted it graciously, but wasn't sure if they would return. They left instead of taking advantage of their free play. Hikaru was hurt and Kyoko wanted to treat him. The idea of playing while he was hurt just didn't feel right.

"Sorry the night ended so badly," Hikaru said sadly.

"I had fun, but I doubt you did after getting hit," she replied with a little pout.

He laughed and flinched. "Okay, yeah, ow. That's definitely going to leave a mark," he admitted and gently touched his left cheek.

"We should ice that as soon as possible," she pulled his hand away, so he wouldn't hurt himself.

"I'll drop you off and ice it at home. I just hope Toyokawa-san doesn't kill me," he joked.

"No, we should do it now. Daruma-ya is about twenty minutes away. How far is your place from here?" she asked.

Hikaru turned to her a little shocked but quickly looked around. After a moment, he recognized the area. "Actually, we are really close to my place, but I'm still going to have to take you home. It's easier to do that first then come back."

Kyoko frowned. "No, you are in the entertainment business. The way you look is very important if you are going to make appearances. We need to ice it as soon as possible to try and reduce the swelling. Let's go to your place, get you settled, and I can walk home." 

"I DON'T THINK SO," Hikaru yelled out outraged. "You are NOT walking home at night without me." _Especially in that dress. _"We'll call you a cab if anything," he finally stated.

"That's a waste of money," she countered. She wished she was old enough to drive, these conversations with everyone wanting to drive her places or take cabs were getting old. "Then let me stay at your place."

Hikaru was so stunned with that statement that he started to drift into the next lane until a honk woke him up. His eyes flickered back and forth from the road to Kyoko as his imagination jumped from innocent date to Dear Penthouse.

"Ah, Kyoko, I'm not sure that's a good idea. My flat is really small. I have extra futons since the guys like to crash, but we would be pretty much sleeping in the same room," he stated, hoping that was enough to drive her away.

"I don't mind. I sleep on a futon myself so I'm use to it, and I'm sure if it can fit all three of the Ishibashi group, then the two of us will fit just fine," Kyoko said with a smile. Then finally a thought came to her, and she grew worried.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I would have to borrow your clothes. You probably don't want that." She sighed. "I guess…"

Hikaru didn't hear the rest, his mind started filling with images of her dressed in one of his shirts, Kyoko completely naked after a shower coming out of his bathroom in a tiny shirt. For once, he was thankful he was so short, that would mean that his shirts wouldn't cover much. He was definitely thicker than her, but they would still be really short. His pants grew uncomfortably tight as he thought of her tiny body slipping into a futon next to him. His eyes glanced at her legs next to him as he let instinct take him home.

He pictured those legs sliding against his, wrapping around his waist as he ripped his own shirt off of her body. It was well worth the sacrifice. Her face flushed as his lips started kissing her neck, her shoulders down to those perfect little breasts. He gripped the steering wheel tighter wishing it was her soft pale flesh. His lips pressed together almost able to feel the hard little bud between them. He could even hear her cry out his name.

"Hikaru."

"Hikaru!" She yelled out, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned to her and blinked trying to clear his mind.

"Yes, what?" He asked as he looked around.

"Is this your place?" she asked and pointed to the building he stopped in front of. It was a two story apartment complex, simple but well kept.

"Ah, yes," he quickly answered and looked around, "I was…um… just looking for a spot to park. I found one." He pulled the car into his designated spot and turned off the car. He sat still for a moment trying to calm himself down. _Thank you kami for it being so dark. _He was a little worried about standing up but forced himself to do so when Kyoko opened her door. He led the way to his apartment, trying desperately to think of something other than being alone with Kyoko in his apartment.

He opened the door to his place as she looked around patiently. It was a cool night and felt wonderful so she didn't mind waiting. In a desperate attempt to get rid of his hard on, Hikaru quickly rubbed his bruising cheek shooting pain down his whole body. _That worked. _

"Welcome to my home," he said with a strained smile and held the door open for her. Kyoko smiled sweetly at him and his face fell. _Okay, no it didn't. Damn cute smile of hers._

Hikaru quickly closed the door behind them as Kyoko waited patiently at the entrance. He nervously looked at the little storage unit for shoes and cringed. Mud, leaves and all of his shoes were pretty much everywhere except in their proper place. The only thing he had in the little cubicles was his sisters' slippers. He grabbed one of them and squatted down before her feet.

"I'm sorry I don't have any guest slippers, but you can use these," he told her. He stood up slightly embarrassed. "They belong to one of my sisters but don't worry they are clean," he quickly added. Kyoko smiled at how nervous he was. She really wasn't worried about the slippers. They both traded their shoes for the slippers. She wanted to laugh at how gently he treated her black flats, putting them away in his unused shelving unit. He even picked the cleanest cubby hole he had while he just threw his shoes on top of the pile next to it.

"Well the first door here is the wash room," he knocked on the door immediately to their left just after you stepped into the tiny hall. "At the end of the hall is the main living room," he explained. As soon as Hikaru approached the opening, he quickly turned to block her view.

"Wait," he snapped out with his eyes closed. He held his hands up in a stopping gesture. He flushed not wanting to admit what he was about to say. "C…could you wait right here for just a minute please?"

Kyoko looked at him baffled. "Why?" she asked.

He smiled embarrassedly. "I had some friends over last night and didn't clean up. Let me take care of a few things before you see it, please," he begged.

She laughed. "Hikaru, I grew up in a ryokan. I'm sure I've seen messier places than yours," she admitted, and then got serious, "Besides, we need to ice that bruise, it's starting to color." She lifted her hand and lightly touched the bottom of his bruising cheek causing him to practically melt.

"Just a minute, please. I promise I won't take long, and it would make me feel so much better showing my girlfriend my place. Just one minute," he pleaded with big puppy eyes. Kyoko nodded, took a step back and leaded against the wall. Hikaru smiled happily and left running into his place.

_So he's messy. _Kyoko laughed softly to herself as she heard his hurried footsteps running to and fro in his apartment. She smiled to herself as she waited, wondering what was in there that would cause him to worry so much. She really has seen a whole lot worse. She would often clean the rooms at the Fuwa Ryokan when she didn't want to bother Sho's mother. She was everyone's little helper. The worse she could remember was a family of five. Those three children trashed the place, destroying the walls and even ripping up one of the futons. Kyoko was in her early teens when this happened, but she never knew parents would let their children get away with such acts.

_Surely nothing Hikaru has is as bad as that. _ Still, she would honor his request. If she thought her place was improper for a guest, she would want to tidy up a bit before they saw it, especially if it was someone she cared about. _My girlfriend, _his words came back to her, and she stiffened. Her mind started processing that phrase and the implications of that word causing her heart started to race.

_Alone_

_With Hikaru_

_In his apartment_

_My boyfriend's apartment_

_ALONE_

"Kyoko," Hikaru called out, making her jump. "Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's as safe as it can be," he stated and blushed, "I really wish I had more time though."

Kyoko smiled nervously and shyly stepped forward. She watched Hikaru carefully as she stepped up to him, but their situation didn't seem to make him act differently. He was still smiling cheerfully and looking as sweet and calm as he normally was.

He held up his arm to guide her through his home. She hesitantly stepped under it and allowed herself to look around as he spoke, "So to your right is the restroom, in front of you is the living room and to your left is the kitchen."

"Oh, the kitchen! Great, go sit down, and I'll get something cold for your cheek," she ordered and quickly rushed into the freezer without really looking around his place. The moment she realized she was alone in her boyfriend's place, her nerves shot into overdrive. _He likes me, so that means he finds me attractive, right? _She found that kind of hard to believe. _But he did say he was looking at me at the arcade. He was even embarrassed about it. _Kyoko could feel her face heat up as she remembered exactly what part of her those three men were referring too. _Does that mean he was looking at my… _She couldn't finish the thought and decided to drop it and finish the task at hand. She opened several drawers and found a box of plastic zip lock bag. She filled it up with ice and closed the little bag.

"Do you have a little kitchen towel?" Kyoko yelled out as she pulled open a random drawer.

"Um, there are hand towels in the closet right across the counter," he replied. Kyoko looked at him and found him pointing behind him to a door beside the bathroom door. She walked over and found all of his towels, spare blankets and extra futons all rolled up. She took a small hand towel and wrapped it around the plastic bag. She shifted the ice to make it as smooth as possible as she walked over to him. He gave her a weak smile, his hands nervously drumming on his thighs.

_So he's nervous too. At least I'm not the only one then. _She returned his smile with a genuine one and sat down on his left. "Hold still," she spoke softly. She took his chin with her left hand and applied the ice bag on his cheek. He immediately flinched at the rough touch of the towel.

"Sorry," she whimpered. "Perhaps we should have used one of your shirts instead, it's softer," she offered.

"Na, this is fine," he responded. Hikaru reached up and took over holding the bag against his face, able to apply the pressure as needed. He turned towards her with a warmer smile. "Thanks, Kyoko," he mumbled, not wanting to move his face too much.

She blushed lightly. "I should be the one thanking you. You got this because of me," she said and bowed down lightly. "Thank you for defending me, Hikaru. It was very sweet, scary and stupid, but it made me happy too."

Hikaru laughed making Kyoko smile. "Yeah, going against them was pretty dumb, but I would do it again," he admitted.

"I certainly hope you won't ever have to," she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I don't ever plan on being a punching bag for anyone on our dates again. Though I do enjoy you nursing me back to health," he teased making Kyoko hide her blushing face behind her hands.

"Hikaru!" she squealed behind her hands. Unexpectedly, Kyoko felt his warm hands tenderly touch hers. She lowered her hands and found his face extremely close to hers with a look of she's never seen on him before. Her hands fell from her face as his left hand cupped her cheek. She licked her lips, knowing he was going to kiss her again.

Hikaru could only take so much, Kyoko in his apartment, on his couch, blushing so cutely in that sexy dress. He had to kiss her, and he was tired waiting for her to meet him half way.

_It's only the second date, Hikaru! You need to be patient. _His head screamed at him while his body was yelling, _GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO!_

Kyoko's eyes widened as he gave her not one but two... now three small kisses on her lips. She felt his hand slide to the back of her neck and the other join in at her waist. She stiffened, and he pulled back with a little sigh.

"Kyoko, do you not want to kiss me?" he asked slightly frustrated.

She blinked in shock and confusion. "Yes, w… why? Am I doing it wrong?" she stuttered in doubt.

Hikaru looked at her, blinking. She watched him think something through and a slow smile spread across his lips. "Kyoko, am I your first kiss?"

"A… n… y… I…" She opened her mouth and only sounds came out. Finally, she simply nodded.

"Kiss the back of your hand," he told her.

"What?"

"Please," he asked without giving a reason. Frowning, Kyoko lifted her right hand and gave it a little peck.

"Good, do that against my lips," he explained and leaned in to kiss her again. Again, she felt that feathery light kiss from before but instead of moving away, he stayed there. She quickly pecked his lips and could feel her face heat up as he pulled away slightly.

"Again," he breathed against her lips and pressed his lips firmly against hers. As she moved to kiss him, he moved his lips lower, applying an extremely small amount of suction on her lower lip, letting her feel some of the wetness of his mouth. She pulled away quickly, her hand moving up to touch her lip.

"Sorry, I've been wanting to do that for a very long time," he confessed as he pulled away from her.

Kyoko really didn't know what to say or how to respond. The fact that someone wanted to kiss her, to be with her was too unbelievable. Yet, here this man was, dating her and kissing her whenever he can. He's never asked her to do anything for him or mistreated her in anyway. He even took a punch to defend her honor. She watched him retreat, placing the ice bag against his cheek again in effect hiding his face from her view.

"Don't be sorry. It was… nice," she whispered timidly. She placed her hand on his bent arm and pushed it down. He turned towards her as she wanted and was pleasantly surprised with a Kyoko-initiated kiss. It was quick but soft and it sent little waves of warm pleasure down his body. He let himself fall against the back in bliss, resting the back of his head on the back of the couch with a big smile.

"I should be going. I'm going to call for a cab," Kyoko said as she reached in her purse for her phone.

Hikaru snapped up, the ice pack falling from his cheek again. "I thought you were staying here."

Kyoko blushed. "No, I shouldn't. I'm sorry to put you through that, Hikaru. I wasn't thinking about what that meant."

"Then let me take you home. I can drive just fine," he stood up as he spoke, dumping the ice bag on the table.

"But your eye," she whined softly.

"I'm sorry to say that icing it now won't make it disappear over night. It's going discolor and everyone will be teasing me about it for the few days I will have it. Don't worry about it, Kyoko. Let me drive you home," he said and held out his hand for her. She simply sighed knowing he was right and let him take her home.


	8. Scheduling

Chapter 8

As the week went by Hikaru's face turned into lovely colors of purple and green then a light greenish yellow by the time Kimagura Rock was filmed. Luckily, make-up made all physical evidence of that night vanish. Kyoko was told that his family tormented him the most about it, while Yuusei and Shin'ichi congratulated him for a reason she didn't quite understand. Meanwhile, her time was filled with school and Box-R.

She read the script for Love's Rival about three times and each time coming up with a new reason to not go to the audition. Then after each thought, Kanae's words came up, and she was more determined than ever to do the film whether or not Ren accepted it. As for the man in question, it was a little over a week when she could no longer avoid him. Not that he did anything wrong. She was simply trying to forget about her love for him, and seeing him wouldn't help matters.

Kyoko sat down at the table and waited impatiently for her guests to arrive. She was extremely early and equally nervous. She hoped that if she arrived thirty minutes before their meeting, that she would be able to calm herself and act normal. Truthfully, it did the exact opposite. Just knowing that she was going to see him, talk to him and be near him was giving birth to a storm of butterflies in her stomach.

"Hello, could I get you something to drink?" a man asked out of the blue causing Kyoko to almost jump out of her seat. _It's not Tsuruga-san,_ she told herself and looked up at the server. He was young, around her target age demographic and rather average in appearance. His name tag said Jouda. She smiled and ordered a coffee, hoping that the burning hot liquid would kill the fluttering bugs in her stomach.

It did nothing, though it was a good cup of coffee. She looked at the clock for the hundredth time in ten minutes and then checked her phone for the two hundredth time. Kyoko was half hoping they would cancel, that they wouldn't need Setsu at all during the filming. The other half of her wanted him to come in now, alone so they may have a quiet lunch together for the next two hours.

Yes, the meeting was scheduled for two hours, a very long lunch in her opinion. Yashiro called her up and planned everything, wanting as much time to hash out a schedule for each of them. On the table was a single sheet of paper with her pitiful schedule for the next month. With only Kimagura Rock and Box R, she was free for most of it. Unless she got the job for Love's Rival then her days would become overbearingly full. She also put in there that school was from 8-3 every weekday but once again work came first, and she was more than willing to skip if it she got the movie.

A little bell rang signaling the arrival of a new customer. Kyoko's head snapped up to see two older women coming in. She let out a breath of air she didn't realize she was holding and frowned to herself. _Get a grip! _She yelled internally. _If you act like that when he is here, they are going to get suspicious. _She took a…several deep calming breaths until she started feeling light headed. She needed something to take her mind off things. Anything would do.

"We're here a little early, Ren," Yashiro said then quickly added, "Eager to see Kyoko-chan?" he teased.

Ren sighed. "I'm early to everything. You should know that being my manager and all," he answered casually, never mind the fact that, yes, he was eager to see her.

"Yes, but we are 15 minutes early to this particular meeting. You can honestly look me in the eye and tell me that it is a coincidence?"

Ren didn't answer right away. He found a parking spot about half a block away from the little deli, turned off his car, calmly unlocked his seatbelt, looked directly into the eyes of his overly enthusiastic manager and spoke, "It is a coincidence. The shoot ended early and the traffic was light." As soon as he was finished, he turned on his gentleman's smile, irritated by the older man. "Satisfied?" He asked callously and proceeded to exit his car.

Yashiro pouted. "No," he grumbled, chasing after his charge. "Why can't you just admit it? I know how you feel even if you aren't willing to say it. We are friends, you can at least tell me how you truly feel." Ren listened to Yashiro gripe about his lack of emotional communication all the way to the door of the deli. When it seemed like he wasn't going to stop, Ren turned towards him vexed.

"Yashiro-san, if you know how I feel then you know why things are the way they are. I value you as my manager and even more as a friend, but if you do not drop this conversation this very second, I will be spending the rest of my day trying to find a place to hide your body," he threatened calmly.

Yashiro leaned back slightly then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He quickly shook his head and the threat. "I don't believe you. You need me too much and so does your health. You would burn out before the maggots got to me; however, I will stop since it seems that Kyoko-chan has already seen us. She is mostly likely getting more and more worried by the second as we stand here and talk at the entrance. I'm sure, and you'll agree, that she will probably think that we are talking about her and again probably negatively."

Ren glanced over at Kyoko as Yashiro spoke. Sure enough she was looking towards them with concern. He sighed turning back to his manager as Yashiro finished speaking and nodded in agreeance with him. Ren pushed the door open and headed towards the worry ridden Kyoko. He didn't know if he liked that little personality trait of hers or not. On one end, it gave her modesty which was absolutely adorable when she accepted praise, but always thinking herself an inconvenience or that she simply couldn't take a compliment without belittling herself right after drove him up the wall.

Kyoko watched the two men at the door. She noticed them the moment they appeared at the first window of the café. Yashiro was talking to Ren who was looking rather impatient about something. It wasn't difficult for her to recognize that annoyed look. Cain often wore that expression when anyone came up to them for any reason. They hesitated at the door absorbed in a heated discussion. Suddenly, Ren looked her way and turned back, nodding. Dozens of questions filled her mind. _Are they talking about me?_ _What did that mean? What are they saying?_ _Is everything okay? _He looked almost sad as he glanced her way. It wasn't long before the conversation ended, and they walked in.

"Good afternoon, Mogami-san. You're here rather early," Ren said with a soft smile. Whatever they had been talking about, she would never know. Somehow the knowledge of that left her a little disheartened, but that was a feeling she was slowly getting use to. She looked up at them with a smile to equal his.

"Hello, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san," she greeted them as they sat down at the table. Ren sat in the seat adjacent to her, while Yashiro sat across from her. As soon as they settled, she spoke, "I didn't have much to do before this so I came in early."

"Then it's a good thing we came in early as well. How are you today, Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked cheerily. It seemed that he was in no hurry to get the meeting started.

"I'm doing well, thank you," she smiled a little puzzled. She glanced at Ren who sat quietly and patiently looked at her. _Is he still thinking of that conversation? Why is this bothering me so much? _She shook her head internally and decided to start the meeting herself. She pushed her schedule over to Yashiro.

"Here is my schedule for the next month," Kyoko started to explain as the two men both looked over her neatly written schedule. "Box 'R' and my weekly job at TBM along with school make up my time. President Takarada has informed me that I do not have to come in for LoveMe since technically I am currently on an assignment," her eyes caught movement and glanced to her right. She caught something flash across Ren's face as she spoke. It was too quick for her to identify but something inside of her said it wasn't a happy thought.

"I don't have much since Dark Moon ended, but I do have an audition happening this upcoming Wednesday. If I get that part then my schedule will change at the beginning of next month. Until then, I'm at your disposal for your movie, Tsuruga-san," she said optimistically, looking at Ren hoping for a lift in spirits. He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. The waiter came by and got their drink orders. By the time he came back, they were ready to order lunch.

This was a lunch meeting, so Kyoko was pleased to see Ren eating. Though, that was all he did. He quietly ate while Yashiro and Kyoko sorted out all the known details for the next month. Yashiro moved to the seat next to her so they could look at everything at the same time as they ate.

"Making room for Box 'R' will be easy," Yashiro stated, "Most of the movie will be shot in the evenings. This will allow you to continue going to class. Though I will warn you, there will be nights in which filming will end in 2 or 3 in the morning."

"That's fine," Kyoko confirmed, "Is it possible to schedule those longer nights with my schooling the next day? I can skip morning classes when it ends that late, but I rather not be tried for Box 'R' if I can help it."

"Alright," Yashiro whispered as he wrote down notes in his planner. "We will do our best, but you know that sometimes things go unplanned," he warned her.

"Oh, of course," Kyoko quickly agreed. She looked at Ren with a humorous smile as she spoke, "If that should happen, I will have the Tsuruga Ren breakfast." Both men looked at her puzzled.

"Six cups of coffee," she said and smiled brightly at her own little joke. Yashiro snickered. 

"I do not have six cups of coffee for breakfast," Ren said defensively and wanted to roll his eyes as his fingers held a cup of coffee.

"He's absolutely right," Yashiro confirmed then amended, "he has two." Ren sighed. A bell like laugh filled the table causing Ren to look at the pixy like creature. Her eyes were almost shut, her face bright and shinning as she laughed at Ren's expense. A real smile spread across his lips. It was small, barely noticeable, but it was the first real smile of the day.

"The most difficult part of your schedule is this," Yashiro pointed at her extremely vague description of Kimagura Rock as he spoke. "Two hours every Thursday night. Is this something new?" He asked curiously. Yashiro strived to know everything Ren's lady love did. The fact that he didn't know about such a consistent event on her schedule actually ruffled his feathers. How did she keep it a secret from him? It was simply inconceivable.

"Ah, no," Kyoko admitted hesitantly. "It's one of the first LoveMe jobs I ever gotten, and it became a permanent one. I'm sorry, but that one can't be rescheduled."

Yashiro looked at her a little stunned. The tone of her voice was stern, leaving no room for discussion on the topic. He itched to ask more, but her cold stone like demeanor made him drop the subject. He simply made note of it in his book. With that being the last of her schedule, her part was pretty much done.

"With that, Thursdays are pretty much out of the picture. That will allow me to schedule anything extra for Ren on that day. Everything else will be pretty normal for you, Ren," Yashiro spoke to his client. "The days will be the same with your interviews and photo shoots, and your nights can be spent with Kyoko-chan," he grinned.

Kyoko blushed while Ren almost growled at his manager's prime choice of words. Kyoko was looking at her suddenly packed schedule. She was started to feel a little overwhelmed with how busy it looked: Box 'R' three times a week including some weekends, school on every other free day, Kimagura Rock every Thursday night and Ren's movie on almost every night. She frowned a little worried. Even if she took out all but one of the school days, would she have time for Love's Rival? Then if she didn't get that film, she still needed to get another job for simple expenses. Natsu was her highest paying job now but didn't pay much since she's only been in one drama. Bo was steady but once again didn't get much since she was a minor character. She did get a raise recently thanks to the Bridge Rock boys. Still, it will be difficult to make ends meet with school fees.

"How different is a movie from a drama? Are they really going to be filming this much?" She asked curiously, hoping that she didn't sound rude in any way. If they needed Ren to film this much on his movie, they would need her for equal amounts in Love's Rival as well.

Ren snorted and then promptly coughed to hide his slip up. _Let's see you get out of that, Mr. Manager. _ He knew what Yashiro was trying to do. This was his way of getting them together at every waking and non-waking moment for as long as the movie was filmed. If Yashiro had his way, he would schedule them together long after the movie was done.

"There are a lot of significant changes, Kyoko-chan. Why do you ask?" Yashiro dodged the question with another.

She wavered, not wanting to admit her petty problems. "Well, the audition I'm going for is another movie. As you both know, it would be sort of my debut if I got the part. If I don't get it, I would still like to try for other things. Box 'R' hasn't aired yet, so I'm not in the public eye anymore; therefore, I may not get any offers until it airs. I need to work," she admitted with a slightly desperate tone.

"You will be. Look at your schedule," Yashiro said, "In my honest professional opinion, Kyoko-chan, the idea of you taking anything else worries me. You might overwork yourself, but I understand the opportunity of this film. May I ask what you are auditioning for? "

Kyoko suddenly grew quiet. Her eyes shifted to Ren, who caught her glaze and peered at her curiously. She blushed lightly and returned her sight to the table. "I got an offer to play the lead in a movie. They actually sent out several offers and want to audition the actresses before they pick though. It's promising to be a huge success, and they wanted an up and coming actress to fill the role," she stated then smiled brightly. "Moko-san also got the offer. I will be competing with her for it. It reminds me of our first time acting together," Kyoko said dreamily. Both men smiled, but Yashiro coughed to bring her attention back home.

"That sounds wonderful, but you still haven't told me what the film is," Yashiro asked patiently.

Kyoko sighed. "I'm trying out for the role of Miyamoto Aika in Love's Rival," she admitted softly. To say that both men were stunned was an understatement.

Yashiro turned to Ren and asked, "Ren, that's the film you..."

"Yes," Ren replied as he watched Kyoko flutter nervously in her seat.

Yashiro turned back to Kyoko and stated the obvious, "That's a romantic comedy, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko laughed nervously. "Yes, Yashiro-san, I know." The lightheartedness that Kyoko showed to the both of them about the film rendered them speechless which made Kyoko's smile wilt.

"I guess that means you don't think I can do it," Kyoko whispered forlornly.

"Ah, no!" Yashiro quickly interjected, "I mean, Yes. I believe you can do anything you like, Kyoko-chan. It's just it's a story about love and second, Ren is your co-star. "

"You said yes?" Kyoko asked, happy that Ren got another role. Ren simply nodded.

Yashiro chimed in, "That would mean if you got the part, he would be your love interest."

Kyoko blushed bright red at this but nodded. "I understand that," she admitted and a frightened and pitiful look appeared across her face. She looked at Ren with that face as she spoke, "I saw that you were offered the male lead, and I know that I should have refused the moment I saw your name." Ren flinched internally as she spoke. His heart wanted to jump out of his chest to escape the pain she was causing.

"But I saw the opportunity, and I wanted it. Even if you had said no to the role, Tsuruga-san, the film was still going to be great. This will be my debut and proof that I can...," Kyoko paused, turned away from their gazes and focused on the table as she continued, "That I can love again. That I am moving on and reaching my goals."

"To beat him?" Ren said coldly, drawing her frantic face back towards him.

"No!" Kyoko exclaimed. "I want to be..." _your equal._ She pressed her lips together in embarrassment. There's no way she could say that to his face. "I don't care about rising to the top or getting number one on some chart. I just want to be acknowledged." _by you. _She wanted to say but left those last two words off. To tell someone that you are their goal, that you want them to recognized you as their equal was simply too embarrassing for words - for her and for Ren.

Ren smiled a small smile, but Yashiro was the one who replied, "Kyoko-chan, everyone that sees your acting knows how talented an actress you are. There hasn't been a single person that I've spoken to that wasn't impressed with your skill as Mio. I'm sure that everyone on Box 'R' would feel the same. Then as soon as it starts airing, the populous won't believe that Natsu is Mio."

Kyoko blushed at the compliment, and while she did appreciate the kinds words, it still didn't fill up the need in her heart. Though, at the same time, if Ren had said those words, would she be able to contain herself long enough for him to say them? Would she even believe them? She didn't know.

"Thank you, Yashiro-san. I mean no disrespect to everyone that has said such wonderful things, but there is something," her eyes flickered to an unknowing Ren, "that I would like to achieve in order for me to feel complete," Kyoko stated trying not to sound completely obvious and still answer their concerns. "So I would like to try out for Aika, and if I don't get it, then I would like to try and find something else," she repeated her main objective again and glanced at Yashiro. He was smiling brightly which made her frown a little in confusion. She glanced at Ren to see if he understood why his manager was so happy but found him holding his head as if he had a headache.

"I'm so very excited for you Kyoko-chan," Yashiro admitted. "When you get the part for Love's Rival then we will make changes accordingly. The fact that both of you will be scheduled together for both films makes it so much easier for me," he finished and then chuckled as he looked at the schedule. "In fact, the only time you two won't see each other are a few hours every week." He looked up at the two of them and couldn't contain the overly fangirl smile on his face.

Kyoko couldn't help the blush on her face and tried to change the mood of the embarrassing conversation. "Yashiro-san, I haven't gotten the part yet. There is no guarantee at all. I'm competing against Moko-san and who knows how many other very talented actresses."

Yashiro grinned as he responded, "I'm not worried. Ren is going to be on the panel that chooses the girl."

"You are?" Kyoko almost shouted at Ren from shock. Then turned to Yashiro and asked, "Is that normal?"

"Well, this director is relatively new, so he is doing things differently," Yashiro said.

"I believe he simply wants to ensure there is chemistry for the two actors, so he is bringing me into the audition. I'm sure that he will make the final decision at the end," Ren explained further making Kyoko nod.

"So you see, you have nothing to worry about. Ren will pick you for sure," Yashiro said cheerily.

"I will?"

"He will?"

Both Ren and Kyoko said at the same time and both had completely different reactions to their comment. Kyoko felt relieved yet sad at the same time thinking that he didn't want her for the part, while Ren was a little happy thinking that Kyoko wanted him to pick her.

"Won't you?" Yashiro asked dumbfounded.

"As I said before, I doubt I would have much to do with the decision; however, if I did, I would choose the best actress for the job, whomever it may be," Ren stated seriously. He took a risky glance at Kyoko and was shocked to see her smiling brightly. He couldn't help but smile as he understood what was going through her head. He wanted to laugh out right but of course couldn't. She was happy that he was going to seriously pick out the best person for the role, even if that mean it wasn't her. Even if that meant that he would be trying to woo her best friend as long as it was for work and not love. He frowned. Actually she would probably cheer him on even if he was trying to pick up Kanae off camera too. The thought of that made his heart ache. Lost in his train of thoughts, he didn't notice Yashiro and Kyoko talking.

"In the meantime, I will make up a formal schedule for you and give it to you tomorrow. If you two will please excuse me, I will be right back." He carefully stood from his seat and head to the men's room. Kyoko pulled the schedule over to read and let out a very deep sigh. The lunch was long over, and she sipped the water that she had left. She could feel Ren's eyes boring into her and glanced his way.

He was simply staring at her, his eyes calculating with his chin resting on his hand. She tried for nonchalant but was failing miserably. She turned fully at him and then glanced at the schedule.

"Did you want to look at it, Tsuruga-san?" She spoke gently, offering the messily written out schedule. Ren shook his head. He wasn't really apart of the planning and therefore wasn't worried. He trusted Yashiro to schedule everything that was required and really didn't mind him adding unnecessary things with Kyoko either. There was nothing for Ren to add or say during this meeting.

Kyoko gingerly took back the paper and twisted her mouth in though. She glanced up at him curiously and asked, "Is there anything wrong?"

"That is my question," he finally spoke. He sent his arm down on the table and leaned in. "What's wrong?"

She started shaking her head, replying, "Noth…" 

"Please don't lie to me, Mogami-san," he interjected, "Are you overwhelmed with the schedule? You had days like this, and the more famous you get those days will stretch into weeks and months, just like the one you see before you. You don't have to do any acting for half of it, so this is a good opportunity to see what it will be like for you very soon."

Kyoko smiled and shook her head with a little blush. "I'm much too far away for me to start thinking of those days. I hope that one day I will be in as much demand as you are, Tsuruga-san. Until then, I will do what I can," she finished with earnest but then her smile wilted as she added, "if I can."

"Why are you so worried?" Ren whispered. Kyoko looked around the little café. Ren was so concerned about her, and he saw right through her as she tried to hide her distress. She looked up at him and saw worried eyes and a friendly face. Her heart thumped in her chest, and she was forced to look down.

She sighed giving up and finally just answering his question. "I'm a little scared," she confessed.

"About Love's Rival?" he asked when she didn't continue.

Kyoko smiled. "Well, that's a little bit of it," she said and then laughed. "There is a lot that I am worried about."

It was Ren's turn to smile and snicker. "Really? I never noticed," he replied sarcastically, making Kyoko scrunch up her nose with a frown.

"My first thought is to your film. I need to make sure everything is believable. Then it's to get ready for the audition. I have no idea what they will be asking for and then knowing that I have to try and take the role from Moko-san. What if she hates me if I get it?" Kyoko said scared of the thought.

"She won't," Ren reassured her and elaborated, "She understand the world of acting, and she will still be your friend after. She will even be happy for you."

"I hope so," Kyoko said with a little smile then shook her head, "Then there is the high possibility that I won't get the part, and I'm back to where I am now."

Ren watched her as she grew quiet and started thinking over whatever she was stressing about. He frowned wishing he knew what she was thinking, wanting to make those little worry lines go away.

"Is where you are now such a bad thing?" He asked softly.

"I'm worried about not acting," Kyoko started. "First off I need the money. Second, I'm worried I'm going to disappear. What if no one notices plain old me now that Dark Moon is done? I got Natsu's role because everyone saw me as Mio. If I'm not out there, being seen, they will forget about me and no one will think of me for new roles. I mean no disrespect, Tsuruga-san. I truly enjoy playing," she paused and leaned in to whisper, "_our roles, _but it doesn't pay, and no one will know it's me."

"I'm doing the same thing. No one knows it's me under that character," Ren said trying for comfort.

"Yes, but you've done so much, everyone knows and wants you. Plus, you are getting paid," she grumbled.

"I can pay you," Ren offered casually.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Kyoko exclaimed causing some of the other guests to look at their direction. She looked down embarrassed but quickly turned back to Ren. "I will not take a single yen from you. The fact that I am going to be spending this much time with you, a brilliant actor, my senpai, is more than enough pay. The things I will learn cannot be exchanged for currency."

Ren smirked, but his heart felt so very cold with that statement. _Still only a senpai to her. Her walls won't even let us become friends. _ Ren straightened up, wiping all emotion from his face and demeanor. "Mogami-san, you are providing me a service by assisting me in the production of my film. You are pretty much working for me as a personal assistant."

"Isn't that what Yashiro-san does?" she countered.

"No, he is my manager. He takes care of my schedule, how much I should get paid for a job, fills out the details of my work life. He does all the "paperwork" that is required in the entertainment world, so all I have to do is act. Do you do that?"

"No," she answered. "I'm useless," she added softly looking at her lap.

Ren's brow burrowed as he looked at the hopelessly blind female sitting before him. With all the things that this woman does for him, useless was the last thing he would describe her. Caring, attentive, sweet, and loving were just a few of the words he would use. However her meaning in his life was not what she was worried about, even though she doesn't have the slightest clue about them. She wanted actual duties, things that she accomplished for him. Ren wanted to keep his comments as professional as possible, without the slightest chance of his words being misunderstood for something sentimental.

"Mogami-san, you know for a fact that is not true," Ren started to rebut by listing the things she does for Cain. "You are his only support, his everything." Kyoko looked up at him confused wondering who "his" was, and Ren flashed her a scowling Cain look. She giggled recognizing her older brother then looked around nervously to make sure no one else saw that.

As she did, Ren continued to list the things she should be paid for, "You cook his meals, wash his clothes and clean after him. No matter what he wants or needs, you are there for him ready to grant his every whim. He has arms and legs, tell him to get it himself. In fact, you do things he didn't even ask for." Ren was thinking about all the things Setsu did for Cain and starting ranting a little, not paying any attention to Kyoko. "I realize that is your character, but you go so far out of your way for him, it amazes me how you put up with it acting like his serva…" He felt a chill run down his back and his eyes widened as he realized what he was saying and to whom he was saying this too. He jerked his head up to look at her.

She was smiling with her eyes tightly shut. From anyone's point of view she was happy, but he saw the slight tremble as she tried to hold herself together.

"Moga.." Ren started to apologize but was interrupted. She laughed loudly which sounded too much like a cry to him and stood up abruptly causing her chair to almost tumble back. She quickly caught it and stepped around it. She bowed down sharply to Ren with that forced smile still on her lips.

"I think I understand why President Takarada assigned this task for me. I really am perfect for the role," she tried to say cheerfully but her voice cracked at the word perfect.

"Mogami-san, that's not…" Ren started again, but she hastily cut in.

"I should go. I have other plans today," she lied as she reached into her purse for her wallet. "Please tell Yashiro-san thank you for meeting with me to set up a schedule. I will be waiting for it as soon as he is done. If there are any changes, I trust that he will call me or have Sawara-san call me. I will also be sure to notify him if I do receive the part. Then I'm sure we will have another meeting for a new schedule." She dropped a thousand yen note on the table and zipped up her purse. "I will see you in two days for your film. Have a good day, Tsuruga-san," she finished and started speed walking out the front door.

"Mogami-san, wait," he said loudly, but she didn't slow down or even hesitate. She weaved around all the little tables and burst out of the café like it was on fire.

"Kyoko!" Ren yelled out and shoved out of his seat as she opened the door. He started eating up the floor, and Yashiro appeared before him halting his progress.

"Move," he ordered, and Yashiro stopped him again.

"Calm down, now," Yashiro angrily commanded. Ren blinked and looked down at his manager in shock.

"But, she's…" He tried to explain and sidestep his manager, but the older man wasn't relenting.

"I understand, but I'm sorry. I cannot have you running out onto the street with the way you are acting. If anyone notices you and catches you chasing after a girl that you have not announced, it would be a PR nightmare. Calm down, and we will go look for her," Yashiro calmly spoke to the raging bull as if too sooth him. He didn't know what had happened. One moment Yashiro was standing off to the side, away from Ren and Kyoko to give them a little time to talk. The business part was long over and actually completely unnecessary, but this was a good opportunity. He watched in the sidelines as if watching a romantic comedy then it turned into a soap opera drama. Ren was talking animatedly about something that was clearly upsetting her at each and every word. Suddenly, he realized what he was doing and that gave her the chance to escape. _Ah, my client is a fool, _Yashiro thought.

Kyoko ran as quickly as she could from the shop. Her eyes were blurred from unshed tears, and her heart felt like someone took a mallet to it. Deep down she knew Ren was talking about Cain, but every pronoun he used to describe Cain, she mistook for Sho. Every time he meant to refer to Setsu, she took it as herself, stupid, naïve, gullible Kyoko. Was she really treating Cain like she did Sho? Everything he said proved it to be true. Then he had to say _that _word – servant. Will she ever escape that damnable fate?

A familiar ringing erupted from her purse, and she slowed to a stop and searched for it. Her eyes felt hot and her throat was dry as she read the little screen. It was Ren. She felt an obligation to speak to him, with everything that he has done for her, she knew she should answer it, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to speak to him or see him. There were a few reasons why he would call her. If he apologized for making her upset, she would feel bad for letting her emotions get to her. If it was ask her why she upset, she would be embarrassed and worried about bringing up that idiot again when she is trying so hard to forget him. The last was simply to tell her that it was completely unprofessional to leave a business meeting early. She did end the meeting before they all agreed it was done. Her behavior was completely uncalled for.

The ringing stopped and a few seconds later, it beeped indicating a voice mail. She stared at the phone wondering if she should call him back when it rang again. This time it was Yashiro's phone and a stronger urge to answer filled her. Yashiro was kind and always had their best interest in heart. Yet she knew that his first priority would be to his client and not the girl Ren upset. Instead of answering it, she turned off her phone.

"She isn't answering her phone," Yashiro sighed as he ended his call without leaving a voice message.

"Try again," Ren ordered. He slowly drove down the street, desperately searching for anything that could likely be Kyoko, her copper hair, the clothes she wore, her purse, anything that would draw his eye from the crowds of people around them.

Yashiro frowned worriedly to Ren but tried again. As soon as he finished dialing, the voice mail picked up. "It went directly to voice mail. She turned off her phone," he told Ren. Ren cursed but stayed quiet simmering in his guilt and anger.

"Ren, what happened?" Yashiro asked cautiously but forcefully.

Ren glanced at him and grimaced. "I said some really stupid things about Cain and Setsu," he admitted but didn't go into detail.

"Okay… like what?" Yashiro prompted for more.

Ren sighed and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I pretty much told her that she was treating Cain like she treated Sho when they were together. I was even stupid enough to tell her she was acting like a servant," he quickly revealed and glanced at Yashiro.

"Don't look at me like that!" Ren said angrily. Yashiro sat aghast at the words that he heard from his charge, staring at Ren like he suddenly told him he was actually a woman and enjoyed kicking puppies.

"I know," Ren yelled out. "Why do you think I'm searching for her so franticly?" He told Yashiro, who has yet to say anything. Yashiro wanted him to be more open, so be it. "You saw her upset too," he started and glanced at Yashiro who was still looking at him with his mouth open and "You are the world's stupidest man" written on his face. He sighed, "If you don't stop looking at me like that, I'm not going to tell you what happened."

"Fine, but really, I can't imagine what spurred on that stroke of genius," Yashiro said sarcastically. The only thing that changed was the fact that Yashiro closed his mouth. Everything else pretty much stayed the same.

"You saw how upset she was about how much time she would have to spend with me once the schedule was set, right?" Ren asked.

"I really wouldn't call it upset, and we don't know if it was because of you," Yashiro countered timidly.

"She was upset and so was I until I asked her why when you decided to leave for no reason at all," he added the last in an accusatory tone.

"I see that was the worse mistake ever…" he grumbled.

"YUKIHITO!" Ren yelled out in a quiet rage and then spoke through clenched teeth, "Shut. Up." Yashiro pressed his lips together tightly, and Ren continued.

"I asked her why she was upset. Money, she was upset because of money. If she doesn't get the role for Love's Rival, she is worried about making ends meet. She was worried about being able to getting something else, because she will spend all that time you scheduled as Setsu, a non-paying job."

"Oh, I didn't think about that," Yashiro confessed innocently and started rethinking things for her as Ren spoke.

"So I told her that I could pay her and that's where the shit hit the fan. She didn't think she did anything to deserve me paying her. I just wanted give her peace of mind and started listing things that she did for Cain. The more I thought about it the more like a servant she was to him, and I, stupidly, kept talking," Ren went quiet and swam through his thoughts for a moment.

"Setsu is the old Kyoko?" Yashiro asked curiously.

Ren lightly shrugged and replied, "I guess. She was pretty upset. It makes sense from what I know about her. All she did was support everything _that guy_ did, left her life, dropped out of school, and took care of the child." He stated, using her description of Sho. "Setsu is doing the same thing with Cain as Kyoko did for _him, _taking care of him while he focuses on his career with nothing in it for her. What is the difference between Cain and Fuwa?"

"The Heels are family," Yashiro answered.

"Cain loves her. He would do anything for her. She doesn't even have to ask," Ren added sincerely.

"You love her," Yashiro amended making Ren shoot him a brief glare then sighed.


	9. Comfort

Chapter 9

Kyoko found herself in front of Kanae's door, knocking for the tenth time since she arrived. She knew that Kanae was probably gone, out doing some shoot or advertising for some show she was on. She was always very busy through the day, her precious Moko-san. Her phone was in her hand eager to be used. Kyoko wanted to call her, to see if they could meet up and hope that she would be available for a little comfort, but she was afraid to turn on her phone. Would he start calling again? How many messages would be in her voice box?

She shut her eyes tightly, her hands clutching her phone between them, and she bowed her head over her fists. _What if he wasn't calling? What if the one message was just to reprimand her for leaving the meeting early? _Hearing such a cold and distant response when her heart was hurting due to her past was too overwhelming. What she really wanted was for Ren to see his mistake and apologize, to comfort her and her stupidity for acting like a fool with Cain. Why didn't he stop her when she started acting like her old love sick self with Cain? It had to be out of character for Setsu, and yet she let her true feelings, her love for Ren seep into her character and destroyed Setsu.

Kyoko leaned against Kanae's door and slid down onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees and hid her face from the world. It was no wonder why Sho left her. She truly became a boring, compliant woman when she was in love. The moment her stupid feelings started flowing, she wanted to do everything for him and Setsu allowed her to do that. She was able to cook for him and take care of his needs, wants, all to make sure he was happy.

She only wanted his happiness.

Kyoko groaned and threw her head back, pounding it against the door behind her. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. _She groaned hitting her head a little too hard on that last one. A small tear leaked out of the corner of her eye at the pain and soon others began to follow against her wishes. She widened her eyes trying to stop her tears from falling and focused on the area around her, anything to take her mind off of things. As she looked around Kanae's neighborhood, a sense of familiarity came to her. She's been here recently, and not to Kanae's apartment.

She stood up and started walking, letting her instincts led her, she walked north. She sniffed and her eyes still watered as she tried to figure out why this area looked so familiar. Finally she stopped at a small alcove. She blinked letting another tear run down her cheek as she looked at the building before her. Her feet started walking unconsciously towards it, walked up the stairs to the second floor and knocked at the second white door. The door opened immediately.

Hikaru stood stupefied at the gift at his door, but the second his mind processed the woman standing there, his happiness morphed into concern.

"Kyoko, what's wrong?" He asked and ushered her inside.

"Did you know you live about two blocks from Moko-san?" Kyoko told him with a distant voice.

"Moko-san?" Hikaru had to take a moment and quickly remembered, "Oh your best friend. No, I didn't," he said and turned to look into her face. It was blotchy and her eyes were red and wet. She was crying but why?

"You do. She lives the in the apartment buildings south from here. Your place is a little bigger but her apartment is still really nice. Both of you have really nice places," she whispered, her voice starting to give out with her emotional state.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? What's wrong?" He asked once she finished her babbling.

Kyoko blinked confused but withdrawn eyes to him. "I'm fine," she said and started crying uncontrollably. Hikaru's heart fell as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. She buried her face in his shoulder and let herself cry, warmed by the comfort he provided. After what felt like hours, Kyoko pulled away, yet Hikaru tried to keep her close.

"I'm so sorry, Hikaru," she whispered with a thick voice.

"For what?" He asked softly. Hikaru peered at her face, wet and runny and thought she was still beautiful. He lifted his hand and wiped away the wet tracks on her cheeks.

"For coming unannounced, for barging into your home, for interrupting your day with my selfishness," she finished looking down in shame.

"Kyoko, you are always welcomed here, and I would be more upset if I found you suffering like this alone. You have no idea how happy I am that you thought of me in your time of need," he confessed to her with a soft smile.

She looked into his eyes and snorted. "You're happy that I'm upset?"

"What! No! I didn't… That's not… I hate that you're crying," he finally said, "It's just… that…" he stuttered around trying to find the right words to say what he meant, "I'm happy that you came to me, not that you are sad or hurt. I don't ever want you to cry. I mean I rather you come over happy or excited, or even bored. I can help you with that anytime," he stated with a little laugh, and then panicked again, "But I don't mind you coming to me like this too, unless it's my fault," he said sadly, "though, if I did cause this then I would want to fix it, so…"

Kyoko laughed causing Hikaru to stop his rambling. He watched her double over in laughter, and while it is at his expense, he was happy she was laughing instead of crying.

"Thank you, Hikaru," she said between fits of giggles.

He grinned at her and responded, "Anytime." She took a deep breath and looked at him. He was in shorts and a t-shirt, obviously lounging around his place. She must have disturbed him on his day off, lucky for her but not so much for him.

"I should go. I'm really am sorry for coming unexpectedly," she bowed down as she apologized, and he reached out stopping her.

"Do you have to be somewhere right now?" He asked curiously then added, "I mean, I can drive you there if you like, since you are here and all."

She nodded accepting his offer. "You can take me home. I don't have any jobs for the rest of the day," she told him.

"In that case," he started blushing and nervously stuck his hands in his pockets, "would you like to say here for a bit? I'm not doing anything either, and I wouldn't mind spending the day with you."

Kyoko blushed and gingerly looked into the apartment. Her mind returned to the last time she was in his apartment alone and her blush brightened. When she didn't reply, Hikaru quickly spoke up, "Or we can go out. We can do whatever you like, watch a movie. It's nice out. We can take a ride or go for a walk." _Anything as long as I get to spend some time with you, _Hikaru said eagerly in his head.

She really didn't want to be in public right now but spending some time with him seemed like a great idea. She pressed her lips together and timidly looked up at him. "I don't mind staying here," she murmured and stepped further into the room. She remembered which slippers she used last time and took them from the cubby hole. She smiled as she noticed that everything was in order now but a few pairs of constantly used shoes.

"Great!" he exclaimed as she slipped off her shoes. He walked down the hall quickly looking around. "This really is a great time for you to come by, everything is clean and taken care of. I even have food." He turned towards her quickly, expecting her to be at the entrance but finding her directly behind him. He jumped a little and laughed nervously.

"Did you eat lunch already?"

Kyoko nodded but her smile wilted slightly, which Hikaru caught. He frowned and then perked up. "Then you should have dessert," he announced. He took her hand and walked her over to his couch. "Sit, make yourself at home," he told her and quickly went to his kitchen. She looked around his place for the first time. She really didn't get a chance to do so when she was first here, so she did so now.

It was an open layout design with only a single counter separating the kitchen to the living room. There was a single couch facing a medium sized entertainment center along with a small coffee table between them. At the end of the coffee table was a big Laz-e-Boy chair swiveled towards the TV. It was a very comfortable, lived in apartment with old furniture with bright colors and lots of pictures of family and friends. The place screamed of personality which brought a smile to her face.

He was in the middle of a video game, with a remote on the reclining chair and the game paused on the TV, there were two cans of Golden Cola on his coffee table, both seemed to be empty. Hikaru came back with a two small bowls, handed one to her and sat down next to her. It was cold when she took it and then looked inside.

"Ice cream?"

"Yeah, cookies and cream ice cream," he told her and scooped a spoonful into his mouth. He swallowed nervously when she didn't eat it.

"Do you not like that flavor?" He asked.

Kyoko smiled and shook her head as she spoke, "No, I like it just fine. I'm… thank you, Hikaru. This is perfect." She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek and sunk her spoon into her cold treat. He grinned at her goofily with a little flush on his cheeks.

"It's my favorite flavor. That one and brownie, but this one was on sale so I got two gallons of this," he told her.

"Two gallons," she burst out. "How long does it take you to eat those?" She asked hoping he said two months at least.

"Well, it depends how many guests I have over. I bought them two days ago, and I just now cracked open the first one. My family likes to come over a lot and Shin'ichi will eat almost half of it if I let him." Kyoko laughed at that.

"I can see why you bought two then," she said and took another bite. It was good, creamy and sweet, delivering everything it promised.

"Do you normally eat sweets?" She asked curiously. A lot of men refused to eat them, or would eat them in private. Sho was the later with Ren the former. She has known a lot of males that don't prefer the taste of sweet things.

"Guilty. Like those chocolates you gave me for Valentines Day, those were good. I wished there was more. To think they were hand made too, most hand made things don't remotely taste that good," he confessed as he ate.

"They were simple truffles, nothing special," she whispered in embarrassment.

"Everything you do is special," he revealed and coughed at his corny statement. They ate and when they were both done, so he took both bowls and stood up.

"Oh, let me clean those for you," Kyoko offered and Hikaru laughed, shaking his head.

"Sit, relax. You're my guest. I'll clean it up later," he said and walked away, rinsing the bowls and setting them in the sink. He walked back and sat on the couch, facing her.

"Feeling better?" He asked with a smile.

She thought about it and had to smile. "Yes," she replied with a nod.

"Ice cream has magical powers. It makes everything better no matter what situation you are in," he told her with a little laugh which made her face brighten and giggle in return. It's very true, spending the day with a friend, going to the movies, getting over a bad day, all better with ice cream.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hikaru asked her sincerely.

Kyoko sighed deeply and thought about the luncheon. She was a little calmer about it now and found she could reflex back on it clearly, but it still depressed her. She turned towards him to say no, that she was fine but the moment she saw his patient face, looking at her intently with concern; she realized she wanted to talk to him. She couldn't tell him all the details since this role was secret, but she could tell him the parts that upset her. Though that would mean that she would also have to tell him about her past.

"You were right," she started, though she knew that statement would be confusing for him. He didn't even know she eavesdropped in one of his conversations.

"When I asked you out a few weeks ago, I had overheard a conversation you were having with Yuusei-san and Shin'ichi-san. That's how I found out you liked me more than a co-worker," she confessed and then bowed down, pressing her forehead down on the couch.

"I'm very sorry for listening in on your conversation. I am not normally that underhanded," she apologized. She felt him sink his fingers into her hair, sending a little shiver down her spine. She pulled herself up, slowly making his hand slip from her hair to the back of her neck. When she was half way up, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her softly. She squeaked in surprise but kissed him back.

"Because of that night, I get to have you here with me and kiss you whenever I like," he whispered making her blush, which caused him to kiss her again. "See. Well worth it," he grinned and let her go.

"It still wasn't proper," she said as she straightened back up. She took a deep breath preparing herself for the next part. "You mentioned Fuwa Sho in that conversation." She paused to see him nod curtly once.

"You were right," then she corrected herself, "well, half right. We never dated, though I wanted to date him." Kyoko relayed her life with the Fuwas and her involvement with Sho while in Tokyo. She had never seen Hikaru this angry. It reminded her of when they were at the arcade when he got a black eye. He was angry then, but he was also scared, frightened for their safety. This time, however, it seemed like he wanted to murder someone.

"What a prick!" He cursed out, shocking Kyoko. Whenever she told anyone her tale, they all stayed relatively silent or a little light bulb switched on to explain her obsession with the man. No one has ever been outraged on her behalf. She watched him stand up and start pacing the floor, ranting, "What kind of man… no boy, would treat you or anyone else like that. He's such an egotistical, arrogant, self-serving assh…"

"Hikaru," she called out between his words. He wondered behind the couch forcing her to twist around to look at him. He turned to look at her still in a fury until he saw her. She was smiling sadly at him. "It's really oka…mmmm." He kissed her. She yelped as he lifted her up with the couch between them and passionately kissed her. This was another new kiss from him. He worked her lips with his, lightly sucking her lower lip as he held her tightly.

"Kyoko, tell me you don't believe him," he asked breathlessly from his kiss. He leaned in and rested his forehead on her shoulder, arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly as he whispered, "None of it is true. You are beautiful, sweet, caring, exciting, and I would have given anything to trade places with him growing up with you."

She gave him an astonishing look at the odd wish as he pulled away to look at her face. He smiled softly at her. "Think about it," he told her and then pulled away from their embrace. He crawled over the couch to join her again as he explained, "I don't know how you grew up but lets say you lived with me and my family. You would not only have me by your side but my sisters to play with. I remember all the silly games we use to play together. They loved to dress up and pretend to be captured by some of their teddy bears, and I would have to come in and rescue them." Hikaru laughed and then blushed.

_So uncool, _he thought to himself. "Um, perhaps I should be letting my mother tell you my embarrassing childhood stories," he whispered shyly but didn't mind his humiliation when she started giggling softly. If it caused her to smile and laugh then he was more than willing to sacrifice his pride so long as she continued to date him.

"Thank you, Hikaru," she said between giggles. "I know that if that were true, I would have fallen madly in love with my handsome hero," Kyoko said with a sweet smile and hugged him.

"You are one princess I wouldn't mind living happily ever after with," he whispered softly making Kyoko blush darkly in his arms. She squirmed out of his arms, unable to look at him in the eyes completely. It seemed that he felt the same way because he suddenly changed the subject.

"Would you like something to drink, Kyoko?" Hikaru asked as he stood up. He picked up the empty cans on the table to throw away.

"Water, if possible," she replied. She didn't think he would have tea here, so water was safest. She watched him stick his head into the fridge and stay there for a few moments. He eventually came back with another soda for himself and a bottled water for her.

"Thank you," she said, taking the bottle and took a quick drink of the cold liquid while he popped the top of his soda.

"So did you see him today? Is that why you were upset?" He tried to get back on topic, wondering how something that happened over a year ago was still bothering her today.

"Ah, no," she started but hesitated. This is where she would have to deviate from the truth to keep the secret in tact. "I was assigned to a new role but it's just a teaching exercise, so it won't be filmed or anything," she said thinking that was partway truthful. "I thought the role was fun at first then I realized today, thanks to my partner, that I re-created myself when I was still with Sho. I know my partner didn't understand what he was saying, but he told me my character was acting like his servant, cooking and cleaning after him, dropping everything in my life for his character."

"And it struck a cord," Hikaru finished her unstated thought. Kyoko simply nodded.

"What is his character to yours?" he asked seriously. Kyoko wondered if it was okay to tell the truth here. It shouldn't hurt.

"He's my brother," she answered.

"How does he treat you?" He asked again in earnest.

Kyoko had to think about that for a moment, her eyes glazing over slightly as she spoke, "He's always teasing me, and he never listens to me. I tell him to eat, and he whines telling me he isn't hungry. I tell him to return things he buys me, but he always comes back with more, just different things. He is always causing trouble, being rude to everyone else but me. If he wasn't so intimidating, I'm sure we would have been kicked out of so many places. He…"

Hikaru laughed and asked, "I gather you two are orphans?"

"Yes," she quickly replied then asked suspiciously, "how did you know?"

"Just a guess, I wouldn't think you would have that type of relationship if the parents are still in the picture. It seemed like you are playing the older sister, but he is the one making the money, maybe twins? It sounds like he wants to take care of you but likes the attention he gets from you so he picks fights with you. I don't know why he is so rude to everyone, unless they are other men. It seems like your brother has a jealous streak in him too, wants to keep you away from men," he stated and then laughed, "thankfully you don't really have a brother like that. I would never be able to date you."

She would have loved to have a brother or a sister, but one that she wasn't in love with like Setsu was in love with Cain. Things like what Hikaru had with his sisters, or the friendly batter between Cain and Setsu.

"While you are playing a role that has you acting like your old self, the person you are with is completely different. He loves, cares and spoils your character every chance he gets. I'm sure if you asked him to do the dishes or the laundry, or even cook something; he would willingly do it because he loves his sister, just as much as the sister loves her brother. Since this is an acting test, I assume this is improvisation?"

Kyoko nodded and Hikaru smiled pleased with himself. "So next time test him, ask him to do something he wouldn't normally do and see what he does and you can judge his response and how you feel about the whole thing after the test."

She let the idea blossom in her head and couldn't help the smile that radiated from her face. She jumped up and tackled Hikaru in a hug and a gleeful laugh. She quickly kissed his lips and thanked him enthusiastically. She stayed for two hours more, their conversation taking a more light-hearted topic of his apartment. He finally showed her everything in it and even offered to make her dinner. She had to decline stating that she wanted to put in some hours at the restaurant tonight. He drove her home on his bike and bid her a pleasant evening after a brief goodbye kiss.


	10. What is Love?

Chapter 10

"You have 12 new messages."

Kyoko's eyes widened as she finally turned her phone back on after dinner service. She took her bath and was getting ready for bed but noticed the little voice mail icon on the screen and checked her inbox to find this. She allowed the messages to play.

"Mogami-san, please call me back." It was Ren, short and clipped. It was right after she left the café around 12:40

"Kyoko-chan, it's Yashiro. Did your battery die? I was hoping to speak to you. Please call me back at your earliest convenience." This was timed a few minutes after the first at 12:44.

"Mogami-san, it's Ren. I need to speak with you as soon as possible. Please call me back when you can. Don't worry about when." Twenty minutes after Yashiro's. 1:06pm

"It's Ren. I'm on break at the moment and wanted to see if I could speak to you." Kyoko listened to a heavy silence, and then he finished, "Please call me when you get the chance." 3:15pm

"Kyoko-chan, it's Yashiro again. I wanted to check up on you, see if everything is okay. Please call as soon as you can." 3:55pm

"Mogami-san, would you please talk to me, allow me the chance to explain myself. I was simply…" Ren sighed audibly on the phone, "Please give me the chance to explain." 5 pm.

"I'm on my way to dinner and then heading to my last appointment of the day. Please call or maybe you can meet me at LA Hearts. I'll be there till 6:30." 5:15pm

"Mogami-san, you are being unreasonable and childish. You know I don't think of you that way and for you to shut off your phone to ignore my calls is unprofessional." 6:00pm

"It's Yashiro-san. I finished the updated schedule and left it with Sawara-san. I would like to talk to you about the schedule. We can definitely free up some more time whenever you need it. Let me know when, and we can work around whatever job you get in the future. Please tell me if this is acceptable. Have a pleasant night, Kyoko-chan." 6:20pm

"I'm starting my next appointment. I would like very much to speak to you before the end of the day, Mogami-san." 6:48pm

"I'm sorry. It seems this is the only way you will allow me to apologize to you so here it goes. I'm very sorry for saying those things. I sometimes forget about your past with Fuwa and didn't realize what I was saying until it was too late. I don't want you to misunderstand what I said. I was only trying to explain that you do so very much for me and those were the first things I thought of since it makes me..." 9:25pm. The message cut off, and Kyoko quickly pushed the next button, eager to hear the rest.

"It makes me feel guilty having you do all that. I live alone, Mogami-san. I'm not use to having someone cook and clean after me everyday while I do nothing, but I want to stay true to Cain just as much as you do with Setsu. I know this is going to cut me off again, so I can only hope you understand when you get this message. Please forgive me, Mogami-san." 9:27pm.

Kyoko shut her phone, got dressed and told the owners that she would be back tomorrow. She unhooked her bike and stormed over to Ren's apartment building, flew up the elevator and arrived at his door, yet the moment she arrived Kyoko couldn't bring herself to knock. She stared at the door, her mind completely blank. A door suddenly slammed behind her making her scream out and jump out of her skin. She twisted around to see one of Ren's neighbors coming out of their apartment with a bag of trash, and just as abruptly, the door in front of her opened.

"Mogami-san?" his voice held surprise as he found her at his door. As soon as Ren opened the door she twisted around and bowed down to him.

"Tsuruga-san, I'm so sorry for disturbing you so late," she spoke to the floor and didn't even make an effort to get up.

"Please come in," he stated politely. She stood up and stalled. He was standing off to the side half hidden by the open door waiting patiently. She licked her lips and forced herself inside.

"I wanted to tell you that I got your messages," Kyoko spoke softly, watching him quietly close the door behind her. The door instantly locked, and she jumped at the small click. She could feel herself shaking slightly and clung to her purse in hopes that he wouldn't notice. She glanced at him nervously and her eyes fell back to the floor as she spoke, "You have nothing to apologize for, Tsuruga-san. I over reacted this afternoon, and I'm here to ask for your forgiveness." Kyoko bowed down again.

"I'm sorry for leaving like I did. I'm very sorry for turning off my phone and ignoring Yashiro-san and your calls. I am tremendously sorry for making the both of you worry about me today," she finished and slowly stood up, but couldn't find the courage to look up at him. "I let my emotions run away with me during a business meeting and that was completely unprofessional of me."

"Mogami-san…"

"Wait," Kyoko yelled out sharply stunning Ren into silence. She sighed, "I'm sorry again, but please let me finish, or I won't have the courage to ever say it again." Ren stiffened but stayed quiet.

"You love me," Kyoko started making Ren's eyes widen and heart stop. "I mean, Cain loves Setsu," she corrected, restarting Ren's life and continued, "All those things you were saying at lunch, it was too much like my life with Sho, and it freaked me out." Starting to feel antsy, Kyoko took off her shoes and started pacing in Ren's front hall as she eagerly explained her thoughts to him. "I thought I was…" she stopped and reminded herself the point of the conversation. _Don't bring up your feelings for him, Kyoko. _She restarted her thought, "Since the only lo…" she stumbled at the word and decided to change it, "experience I ever known was with him, I thought I somehow used that to show Setsu's love for Cain. When you stated that I was doing all these things, I felt like a failure until I re-evaluated our characters." At this Kyoko turned to Ren, quickly walked up to him and met his eyes with a smile.

"Cain loves Setsu. Never mind the weird incestuous thing they have going on, but it's love. She does all those things for him because she loves him and wants to make him happy. In return, he tries his best to take care of her since it's only them, buys her whatever she could ever want or need, gives her all the love and attention she could ever ask for, is completely devoted to her and you know what else?" Kyoko asked Ren.

"What?" He asked trying to follow her lead.

"He needs her just as much as she needs him, wants her just as much as she wants him. That is love," Kyoko said joyfully as if she solved the answer to life's question. She spun around in his little hallway as if she had wings, her eyes sparkling, her face lit up from some internal brilliance from within. She quickly turned back and looked up at him.

"I'm right, right? That is love?" She asked him hopefully.

"Yes, this is love," Ren answered with the softest sincerest voice, but Kyoko yelled out in glee at the first word and didn't hear the rest of the sentence. His hand was half way towards her face and his desires were written all over his as she twirled around in his apartment.

"I'm in a role that is expressing love. President Takarada must be testing me, to see if I can do it for a future role," she exclaimed but then gasped, "Love's Rival! That's why I got the offer." Kyoko then frowned confused. "But no one knows it's me."

Ren smiled shaking his head. "I believe our president probably had something to do with that. Though you mentioned that Kotonami-san also got the offer?"

Kyoko nodded and added, "Yes, she did. They thought that she would fit Aika well, but I got the offer too, because Sawara-san said they saw us together at the Dark Moon interview and thought we looked good together." As soon as the words left her lips Kyoko blushed a crimson red. She turned to Ren and started laughing.

"Funny, huh?" she said with a forced laugh and turned away from him quickly trying to hide her true emotions from him. Ren sighed softly wishing he could wipe her impressions clean and fill her up with the truths of that observation.

Kyoko calmed her heart down reminding herself that such a possibility wasn't possible for her and should stay inside her dreams. Though a soft smile spread on her lips as she remembered that she would be able to feel a little of his love if she got the part in Love's Rival even if it was another role. Kyoko giggled softly as she thought about it. He wouldn't show the same kind of love as Cain did. Kyoko was getting excited thinking about the way Ren would play Kenta.

_But what about me? _Kyoko thought to herself anxiously._ Can I express a different love if Ren is my co-star? Would I do the same things I do as Setsu while being Aika since all I would see is Ren? The love they want displayed isn't going to be the same as what I am doing with Setsu. The only love I am showing is the type I displayed with Sho-baka. Is that right? What if that kind of love isn't what they are looking for? What if that love isn't the love that people normally respond to?_

Ren walked up to the Kyoko statue in the middle of his living room. She fell into a deep thought, her eyes drifted off into the shadows of her mind with her hand at her lips. He bent over, looked at her serious face and waved his hand in front of her eyes. Kyoko blinked at the movement and turned to look up at him. She didn't smile but looked at him confused.

"Cain would love Setsu no matter how she is, right?" She asked him.

Ren had to think about it for a moment but nodded. "Yes, love is unconditional," he replied.

Her eyes fell back into that distant daze as she spoke her thoughts out loud, "So then he is merely accepting my version of love because he loves her. It doesn't mean that I'm right." Kyoko's face fell as if she took a giant leap back.

"You have to love me because your character definition tells you to," Kyoko accused him, "It doesn't matter how I act it, it will still be love because that is your role." She felt like crying again. "What if my love is wrong? What if I go to the audition and show them what I think love is, and they laugh at me? They would laugh me off the stage telling me they wanted me to express love, not act like a maid," she finished and collapsed on the floor.

The moment her bum touched the ground, Ren rushed over in a panic. "Are you alright?" He asked in alarm.

"I don't know," she mumbled. "I don't know what love is. I don't know how to express it." She looked up at Ren's concerned face and felt her eyes water and her heart ache. _I love him, how would I show that? I don't know. He told me in his messages that he feels guilty when I do things for him, and he does nothing. That's why he always asks to do the dishes and help with cooking. If I can't do things for him, then _"what do I do?" she whispered the last out loud.

She was staring at him, her eyes shinning from unshed tears and thousands of flickering thoughts sweeping across, making them dance. Ren watched her as she watched him, taking in her lost words of love. When she asked him what she should do, he felt as lost as she did.

"First, stand up and come sit on the couch," he told her, and she followed him blindly. Once seated, he offered her a drink.

Some life came to her when he offered, and she replied warmly, "Tea. I would love a hot cup of tea." She had been craving some since she was at Hikaru's apartment. Ren turned to leave, and Kyoko shot up. _I'm in another man's apartment! A man who is not my boyfriend either. _

"Is something wrong, Mogami-san?" Ren asked her, puzzled by her sudden movement.

"Ah, um, no. Sorry. I remembered something." She tried to find a quick lie but quickly recalled a truth, "Yashiro-san. He was calling me all day too. I need to call him, but it's too late to apologize now." She sat down slowly with a nervous laugh. She looked at Ren who was looking at her oddly. "Um, I can make the tea if you prefer. It's for me, so I don't mind."

"No, I'll do it. Please sit patiently. It won't take very long," Ren quickly squashed her offer and immediately went to boil the water. Kyoko sat back cautiously and sighed. _Good job, Kyoko. Way to make the man suspicious. _It would have been too weird to leave suddenly, so Kyoko convinced herself to stay. Besides, she has been in his apartment plenty of times and nothing ever happened. He doesn't think of her like a woman but a child, there is no threat here. If she was in Hikaru's place at this time of the night, then she could worry, not here – not with Ren.

Ren stifled a groan as the water started to simmer. This woman was going to be the death of him with her capricious ways. He was worried sick all day about how she was with the stupid things he said. Then she comes out of no where looking completely adorable in an oversized sweater and jeans and start sprouting apologies like a sinner about to die. After that she has this epiphany that blows his mind and almost gave him a heart attack and now where does he found himself?

The girl he loves is asking him whether the way she loves is correct. The little kettle started to whistle, and he started preparing the tea as he sorted his thoughts. _She doesn't know the one thing you want in your life is her love. _He slowly poured the hot water over the loose green tea leaves. _How can I help? I had to find out love from a person in a damn chicken costume. _He sighed as he put the little lid on the pot. _But she is asking how to express love, not if she is in love._ He gathered everything in his hands._ Perhaps I can use my parents as an example._

When Ren returned from the kitchen, Kyoko had retreated back into her head. He watched her as he prepared the tea, wondering if his actions would eventually wake her up. He casually set the tea pot on the little table right in front of her, then the two little tea cups next to it, carefully poured the hot green tea into the little cups and proceeded to sit on the floor in front of her with her cup in hand. Even with all that, she didn't budge or even register his presence, so he allowed himself a minute to look at her. Kyoko was warmly dressed in simple clothes and her hair was messy indicating that she arrived here by bike. _At least she didn't walk over,_ he thought to himself with a little sigh and figured he should snap her out of it now.

"Mogami-san," he called out to her in a normal voice, but she remained still. All the movement that he did while serving the tea didn't work so he very lightly placed his fingertips on her knee and gently shook her leg. That worked.

The first thing Kyoko reacted to was his touch, her face flushed, and she jerked her knee to the side, away from his hand. He let his hand fall back with a sad little smile and held her tea cup to her. She turned her gaze to his face and the offered cup and calmed down a little.

"Ah, thank you, Tsuruga-san," she said as she took the cup, careful not to let their fingers touch in the exchange. Kyoko took a sip and sighed in contentment making Ren smile softly.

"Better?" he asked, and she nodded with the little cup cradled in her small hands. He looked at her and let his smile fall into a serious expression. "Mogami-san, I would like to reinforce my sincerest apologies…"

"But…"

Ren held up his hand and stopped her interruption and continued, "My sincerest apologies for my insensitive comments at lunch today. Do you forgive my transgressions?"

"But you have noth…" Kyoko tried again but was thwarted once more.

"Do you forgive me?" he repeated simply, and Kyoko nodded reluctantly.

"Thank you," he said relieved and carried forward, "I was never mad at you today. I was worried though, but I chose to be so." He looked down slightly looking at her cupped hands as he spoke, "I thought you were angry at me for saying those things, and I wanted to fix it as soon as I realized what I said. I'm also sorry for all those messages in your voice mail," he said a little embarrassed.

Kyoko blushed lightly since she actually enjoyed all those calls from him, not the reason why mind you but because he was so concerned about her. It's what drove her over here so quickly after hearing them. He turned his face up at her when she didn't say anything, his face timid and hopeful. She smiled and nodded accepting his apologies.

"So then we are good?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes," she exclaimed without a second of hesitation.

"Great," he replied with a wide smile. Kyoko took a drink then, trying to hide from his dazzling smile. Ren took a deep breath and let it out slowly mentally preparing himself for the next topic.

"Now as for Cain and Setsu, you were right the first time, but there is no wrong way to love someone." Ren froze with his mouth partially ajar. "Actually, that's not true. If you are hurting the other person, mentally or physically, then that's bad. That's not a good love, but that's not the point," he said flustered, making Kyoko smile behind her tea cup. _Has he always been this cute? Is he allowed to act nervous and flustered like that? _This was her respected, all-knowing senpai. He shouldn't be tongue tied.

"All that matters is that you show them that you care about them, that you think of them. How you end up showing that will work itself out in the relationship," he finished hoping that made sense.

Kyoko thought about it and frowned. "How am I supposed to act that out then?"

"That will be in the script, and your actions will be different with each character," he replied. "You are already doing things differently from Setsu and the you at 15. Did you cling to Fuwa as much as Setsu does with Cain?" _No, no, no, please say no, _Ren pleaded in his head over and over again.

"No," she immediately answered but then thought about it. "Well, I would sometimes take his hand," she started to frown the more she thought about it, "but he always pulled away. In fact, I don't remember a time when I hugged him. I think it was my birthday." She stalled trying to think. "We didn't touch very often. I always thought he didn't like the public affection, so I didn't do it that much." She rolled her eyes and grumbled, "I know differently now. Bastard is all over his manager whenever I see him."

Ren coughed. "Back on topic, would you be more physically affectionate to the person you love if they responded in kind?"

Kyoko blushed. "Yes, but I would be too embarrassed to initiate that. I mean I understand doing things in private, but to do more than hold hands in public…" she trailed off, her embarrassment overwhelming her.

"But you see that touching is a form of affection, right? That's why you do it so much with Setsu," he explained.

"No, I do that because we aren't raised Japanese. If we were born and raised Japanese, then I would act more reserved like normal, even if you are still a thug," she tease with a smile.

Ren snorted. "Not all other cultures act like that. Others are more casual about touching yes, but not at the level that we display as the Heels," he stated.

Fear filled her eyes as this revelation and she asked, "I was doing it wrong?"

"Well, if you were doing it because of our nationality, then yes. If you were doing it to display your love, then no," Ren stated.

Kyoko groaned in frustration and then asked, "Are you displaying Cain's affection the same way you would to the one you love?"

"No," he quickly replied. "Cain is distant even with his sister. She is the only one that he loves or even likes. No, I would do things differently," he said softly. Kyoko watched him look at the spot on the floor thinking about something or someone. She tiled her head watching him, curious what was going through his mind.

"What would you do?" she asked innocently, curiosity getting the best of her.

Ren's eyes flickered to hers in surprise and then a touch of apprehension filled them. He opened his mouth and then closed it with a sigh. "I suppose I would do a lot of the things my parents do," he replied honestly.

"The moment my father saw my mother, he would rush over, wrap her in his arms and kiss her soundly. It didn't matter who was around or where they were at, he would always greet her the same way," Ren said and smiled remembering the way people would comment on how much his parents were in love.

"He always had to be next to her, had to be touching her in some way. He would hold her hand or his arm would be around her waist or shoulders. He was always telling her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her, every day, several times a day," he told her. The more he thought about the things his father did, the more understanding he had for Kuu's behavior. Thinking about doing those same things with Kyoko made his heart ache with desire. His heart and body screamed at him, knowing that she was right here, in front of him, so very close, and yet he couldn't do those things.

"If they could be together, they were. They did everything together: cooked, cleaned, ate, showered, everything. Work was the only thing that drove them apart, and when they got back together after being separated…" Ren snorted and blushed thinking back to his childhood.

"I'm really surprised I don't have any brothers or sisters," he laughed and finally looked up at Kyoko. She was smiling brilliantly with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Mogami-san?" Ren said concerned, worried that she was upset again. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Upset?" Kyoko said baffled and then laughed as she felt her eyes spring a leak "Oh, no," she laughed and wiped away a tear, "No, I'm not upset. It's just, that's so very beautiful, to grow up with parents that loved each other that much. To be able to see that even once, you are very lucky, Tsuruga-san," she said sincerely. There were no signs of envy or sorrow; she thought he was truly blessed. He nodded in agreeance, fully knowing what he currently has waiting for him was a gift.

"What would your mother do?" She asked enthusiastically.

"She was a lot more subtle," Ren started, "She would call him every pet name ever invented in the world. She tried her best to cook him meals, even if she wasn't the greatest of cooks. The one thing I remember most is when she would try and sneak kisses on him. If he was reading a book or watching TV, she would tip toe towards him and try to kiss his neck or his cheek, but he always knew she was there, turn his head and steal her lips." Ren laughed at the memory. "She told him she loved him while spontaneously hugging him. My mother never really needed to do much. Father was always prompting things anyway. She would laugh at his antics and returned his feelings when he gave them."

Kyoko sniffed making Ren glance at her. She was crying outright now but still had a smile on her lips. "I wouldn't have told you this if you were going to cry," he laughed.

"I'm sorry," she pouted and wiped her tears. "I didn't mean to. My family is broken, and The Fuwas didn't show that kind of affection in front of Sho and me. I really didn't think that kind of emotion existed outside of movies and stories. It's like you grew up in a fairy tale kingdom," she said with awe.

Ren laughed and shook his head. "No, far from it," he stated then looked at her. "Did that help you at all?"

She took a deep breath to calm her emotions. His parents were extremely affectionate in a playful way. Setsu enjoyed playing with her brother but there was the underlining tone between the two of them that Kyoko didn't understand which made things difficult.

"I'm not sure. I don't think doing those things would fit the Heels," she confessed.

Ren nodded. "You're right, but what I don't understand is why you feel like we need to change how we are acting them right now?"

Kyoko opened her mouth and then promptly closed it. She thought about it for a moment, trying to remember the main reason she was here. "Because I'm not displaying love correctly," she finally answered.

"Says who?" he asked, and she couldn't respond.

"No one," Ren answered for her, "Just show your love the best way you know how."

"Ah, because Cain has to love his sister no matter what, right?" she replied knowingly.

Ren sighed in frustration. This woman twisted everything around so that she was at fault in some way or another. He wanted to strangle her sometimes. "Mogami-san, it doesn't matter what you do, because if the person loved you back, they will see your efforts in loving them in return." The moment he finished his statement, both of their hearts broke just a little. They remained quiet as they thought about each other and the lack of insight into each other's feelings.

"What if they don't?" Kyoko whispered softly.

"Then we try harder to be noticed."

Kyoko looked up at him astonished. His expression matched the tone of his voice, both were determined and unyielding. Written on his face was a goal, something he wasn't willing to let go for any reason, and her heart throbbed painfully wondering who he was thinking about.

Kyoko did not stay over that night. It was around midnight by the time she arrived home.

"Thank you for the ride, Tsuruga-san. I'm sorry I kept you up so late," she said bowing as he took out her bike from his trunk.

"I'm happy you came by Mogami-san. If you didn't, I doubt I would have been able to sleep anyway," he replied making her frown. "Please do not apologize again. You've done enough of that for today."

She laughed. "Actually it's already the next day, so I can start the counter over again," she teased. Ren looked at her trying to process the joke she said and laughed shaking his head.

"Touché," he said with a smile.

"Please sleep well, Tsuruga-san. Everything will stay the same with Cain and Setsuka, but I promise when you see me at the audition, you'll see a whole new love," she told him with conviction.

"Good night," she said finally and made her way back to the restaurant. Ren watched her go, partially confused and the other a little afraid. _She doesn't even know what the audition entails. What is she going to do for it? I hope she doesn't go overboard with what I told her. _When he saw her disappear into the building, he left, his instincts filling him with this odd foreboding.


	11. I'll wait

**A/N: Oo, we've reached Chapter 180 at this point. I wanted to finish this story before 181 hit, but I failed. :( It really didn't ruin this chapter, but it is vastly different. I made it match 180, but I'm not going to match 181. Sorry, but I hope you still enjoy it. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 11<p>

They were late for their first day of filming on Tragic Marker. Granted, that was part of their characters and the director was the one to actually hold them back, so they really didn't do anything wrong; however, everyone else on set didn't see it that way. Even with the blatant fear and instant dislike between Cain and the entire crew, it was starting out to be a fun day. Anticipation filled Kyoko as she waited to watch Ren perform a new character, and then he smiled.

Who knew that a simple smile could do so much damage.

Actually, it didn't really do any damage to the film. He smiled during the practice run. After Setsu called him on his little grin, he never smiled again that night, not even as Cain. The filming continued, and Ren performed the scenes with Mitsui-san flawlessly. Even Mitsui did well minus one little freeze up. When BJ was stalking her in a dark stage, she was so frightened that she couldn't move. Setsu wanted to crack up laughing as she cowered against the wall behind some boxes as if that would hide her from her fearful brother. That didn't last long. BJ popped out making Mitsui give the loudest blood curdling scream that anyone has ever heard. So loud that Setsu would bet money that it was heard from space.

They called cut and gave her some sugar to help calm her nerves. They had to remind her that she was on a film and that Cain would not hurt her. Setsu smiled humorously at that, but remained silent. She tried to involve Cain into her little joke on the cast but found him to be less then attentive.

"Nii-san?" She called out to him curiously. When he didn't turn to her, she went to grab his hand, but hesitated.

_It's to show love, Kyoko! You need to step it up, or you will be defeated by him. _Kyoko reminded herself of the affection he easily showed her earlier and bravely took his hand and called out to him again, "Nii-san."

This time it worked. Those dark shadowy eyes cast down upon her, making her shiver internally. She met those scary eyes and forced herself to be calm and collected. "You did brilliantly, Nii-san," she assured him. "Now if only you were able to work with people who could acually act," she grumbled as she glanced behind her to the frightened crew.

"Can you really blame them?" he joked making Setsu smile. She looked back up at him hoping to see a little smirk but found nothing. He responded correctly with his words, but his expression was off. She sort of wondered if that was a joke at all.

"Heel-san," the director called out and Cain left, his hand giving Kyoko's a tiny little squeeze before letting it go. She watched him head back to the stage and couldn't stop the thoughts and worry filling her head. The day passed, and everyone was free to go. They returned to the hotel, where Setsu force fed her brother once again and went to bed. Well, they pretended to go to bed.

If any script wanted Kyoko to pretend to sleep, she would have no problems performing it for them. While the world - especially Ren- thought she was asleep, she was well aware of everything around her. Cain wrapped himself in his sheets and turned to his side facing away from her. Kyoko took what comfort she took from that. Things were already so difficult being this close to him in a hotel room. If he slept facing her, or if he kicked off the sheets at night revealing his toned body, well she doubt she could stand being within the same room as him.

Tonight was a restless night for him. He tossed and turned, always keeping inside of the blankets, making it difficult for Kyoko to determine when he fell asleep. Finally a soft snore came from the bundle of sheets next to her, and Kyoko could finally relax. Sort of. Her mind couldn't erase the look on his face when she told him he smiled.

_So he slipped. It was just a little smile and not even on camera. For him to take it so hard that Cain bled through BJ, it was a silly mistake. _Kyoko laid in bed staring at the ceiling. _But Tsuruga is almost brutally harsh on himself. He works himself to the bone, all for..._ She frowned. For what, she didn't know, but whatever it was, he thought it was important. Either way, he was upset about that smile. _Or at me. _Kyoko sighed and pulled the covers over her head.

_Will I ever get this right? _She asked herself and released a long sigh. She shoved the sheets back down and twisted her head to Ren. She shook her head and tossed the blankets off of her. _I can't stay in the room. I need to move. _ Kyoko got dressed and quietly made her way out of the room. The moment the door closed behind her, she could feel a weight fall from her chest. She took a deep breath and her body almost melted in relief. So much in fact, that she felt she could fall asleep right then and there.

Okay, maybe not. It was in the middle of a hotel hallway.

She trucked out of the hotel into the streets to buy something she didn't even need. She took her time walking to the store, browsed all the aisles, picked only the pristine items, bough them and took her time getting back. She even window shopped on the way back, not that the dark store front windows were any fun to look at. No one spoke to her, afraid that the beautiful kitten would scratch their face off for doing so. The Setsu look had it's advantages. Forty minutes later, she was back inside the brightly lit hotel.

_There is something still bothering me, _she thought to herself as she headed to the elevator. _At that moment his expression completely froze as if saying, "You are wrong." Even the air stopped flowing. _She pressed the button for the 12th floor and continued to think about it. _Was I wrong? Did he not realized it? For an actor like him, how could he possible not noticed? _ She asked herself as the elevator dinged. Before she could step out, her vision was filled with a tall man covered from head to toe in a white sheet. She gasped as she released it was Ren, and he looked absolutely miserable.

"Tsuruga-san? Is something wrong?" she whispered with wide eyes as she stepped out of the elevator. He didn't say anything, just watched her as she approached him. She quickly went to him, worry evident in her eyes.

"Tsu..."

"Setsu," he interrupted quickly making Kyoko shy away ashamed at her slip. "Where were you?" he asked. Kyoko wanted to scream, cry and apologize all at the same time. There Ren was looking so dejected that Kyoko couldn't help herself and slipped out of Setsu, but of course he can stay in character. She pressed her lips together trying to swallow her concern and force a cold expression on her face.

"I couldn't sleep," she told him and held up the little bag of food she gotten. His eyes never wavered from her face, and she could feel her face soften as she watched him. Her throat yearned to speak, to ask what was wrong,_ why do you have this aura of hopelessness?_

Finally he moved. She thought he was going to speak but instead, the blanket fell off his head, revealing his sleep tussled hair as he released the sheet and held his hand out towards her. She looked down as he collected her hand and a delicate blush decorated her cheeks as the cover fell from his shoulder to show off his smooth bare muscled chest. Amidst her embarrassment, Cain yanked her forward towards him. Thankfully her face hit cloth instead of his bare skin, so Kyoko was able to keep in character. His arm hugged her around her shoulders and very lightly held her to him. She glanced up at him as she steadied herself and felt her heart wretch in two.

He looked torn, lost and in such disarray that Setsu couldn't keep a hold of her. "Tsuruga-san, what's wrong?" she asked again.

"You shouldn't be going outside alone," Cain spoke to her, not Ren. She wanted Ren to speak, not Cain.

"Tsuruga-s..."

"If you wanted to go get something, wake me up, and we will go together," again he interrupted her with Cain's needless worry. Kyoko pressed her lips together and finally gave up. She looked down, and Setsu looked back up with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry, Nii-san, but I didn't want to wake you up," she told him as she leaned forward, wanting to nuzzle her head against his warm chest. However, instead of feeling that warm comfort that was Tsuruga Ren, she was granted with a trembling embrace. Cain's arm tightened around her but that only caused the shaking to be more noticeable. She pulled back, a deep frown marring her face. She pulled the sheet back over his shoulder, but not back over his head, simply around his neck and bundled him up.

"Let's go back to the room. I promise I won't go anywhere without you again," she declared and that seemed to satisfy Cain, but she was no where close to being satisfied herself. Something was wrong, seriously wrong with Tsuruga-san. Nothing happened today that would have upset Cain. Nothing but Setsu could upset Cain to this degree and nothing happened to her today.

Cain followed her back to the room quietly. Her hand never left his as they walked back. He never let her out of his sight, and for once she didn't mind. Kyoko put everything she bought away and turned her attentions to her brother. He started to relax, to go back to sleep as if she was really going to let everything go back to normal after seeing him like that. She took the time to take off her boots and jacket, and then marched over to his bed. He started to settle in, when she sat down beside him making him still.

"Setsu?" He asked and then smirked at her. "Do you want to sleep with me?" He asked with that dangerous little smile, but it went completely unnoticed.

"Nii-san," she said seriously, still not looking at him. "You love me right?"

This caught Ren off guard. Such a blunt question from the woman of his dreams with it's only downfall being that the question was directed to Cain, not himself. Cain reached out for her and gently stroked her hair. "That's a stupid question," he replied. She turned to him with such big, teary eyes that his breath hitched in shock.

"Then why won't you tell me what's wrong?" she said bluntly again taking him back. She leaned forward as he started to pull away. He blinked at her trying to think of something to say back, an excuse that she would believe and stop asking questions he wasn't ready to answer. When he didn't respond, Setsu's face fell down to his fallen hand, the one that stroked her hair. She twisted towards him, bringing her knee up on to the bed and took his hand in hers.

"I..." she licked her lips as she tried to summon up the courage to speak what was in her heart. If she was going to do this, even as Setsu, she couldn't look at him. Instead she focused on his much larger hand in her tiny ones. She wrapped both of her hands around his as she whispered "I love you."

The entire room seemed to freeze the moment those three words left her mouth. Both of their hearts, and even time itself seemed to stop as Ren watched her with wide eyes and Kyoko stared at their hands. Each were deeply affected by those words yet both expected the two completely different things from it.

Kyoko's heart elevated. It nearly flew out of her chest and eagerly wanted to be placed into this man's hands. She almost laughed at how good it felt to say those words to him. She wanted to laugh, to smile a stupid love-fool smile and give in to every dream that she ever had about love.

_After all that, the pain and torment, the fear and misery that you were weary about, and you turn against me so quickly. Stupid heart._

Meanwhile, Ren felt nothing but pain. His heart burned in anguish knowing that those words weren't meant for him. This woman, the die hard professional that she was, was simply saying those wonderful words to her brother, not him. He wanted nothing more than to drop everything, risk everything and kiss her.

_Murderer... Monster... _Ren closed his eyes and started to shake unconsciously. _No, no, I will not become that creature again. She deserves better. She deserves more, and I will not submit until he is destroyed within me. _

Kyoko swallowed her pleasure once she felt his hand start to shake once again. She tightened her hold on his hand and continued what she wanted to say, "You mean everything to me, so if you aren't happy, then I will never be so."

"I'm fine, re..."

"Stop lying!" She snapped and let out a frustrated breath. She forced herself to look up and meet his eyes. "You can't hide anything from me, so stop trying. I don't even understand why you are," she bemoaned. "Are you afraid? Are you ashamed?" Kyoko asked as she crawled further up onto the bed. She watched thousands of emotions or thoughts flicker across Cain's grey eyes, she wished they were Ren's normal brown ones but at least it was still him. This was still Ren hurting and while he wouldn't let her be herself, she could speak to him as she wished. She lifted his hand, entwining their fingers together, and twisted their arms together so she may cradle his forearm against her. She closed her eyes sadly as she nuzzled her cheek against the back of his hand.

"Please," she pleaded, "please tell me what is hurting you so much. You're always trying to protect me from others and especially yourself. Why? No matter what you say, no matter what happened to make you feel this way, I'm not going to leave. I'm not going to be hurt or turn away from you. Whatever it is, we'll fix it. We'll make it better, just the two of us, like it has been, like it always will be," she whispered softly to him, her eyes betraying her by allowing a single tear to fall and run onto his hand. She started to pull away so she may wipe away the moisture from her eyes but was pulled to him. She gasped as she came in contact with his chest, the white sheet covering him had fallen to his lap as he pulled her in.

Strong arms encircled her, his face bent over her and she could feel his labored breath on the top of her head. He stopped shaking, but under her the palm of her hand, she could still feel his despair. His heart was beating rabidly, pounding against her hand as if it were trying to break free from it's cage. Kyoko wanted to push him away, not because she didn't enjoy it but because she wanted his words not more deflection.

"I can't," he whispered softly into her hair causing her to still in his arms. "I can't," he repeated in such a heartbroken voice. He hugged her tighter still, forcing her arms out from between them and around him. Kyoko sighed completely crestfallen that she couldn't do anything to help. She wrapped her arms around him, unable to hold him like he needed, to envelope him with her warmth, her comfort like he always did for her.

_Useless. Why am I so utterly useless to those I love? _Kyoko pushed herself against him, buried her face in his chest wishing she was better, wishing that she could be everything to him, as he was to her.

Ren cradled her closer to him, hiding his face in her wig that now smelled strongly of her. His skin erupted in flames as her arms circled around him. _In my arms, small, soft, beautiful Kyoko... here in my arms, hugging me back... holding me like a lover, God. I love her. Her smell, her touch, her everything. _

"Please," Ren whispered softly making her blink. She tried to pull away so she may look at his face but he held her tightly forcing her to stay. "Please, just keep believing in me," he whispered into her hair. He slowly started to relax his arms, and she took that opportunity to move. "If you could do that," he continued as she twisted around in his arms. He held her close, but allowed her to twist in his lap. Her red watery eyes met his hurt, shinning ones with their faces mere inches away. He lifted his left hand up and gently caressed her cheek.

"That's all I need," he murmured. _Your trust, your strength, that's all I need for now. I may never get your love but at least I have this. _His fingers glided down tenderly along her cheek. She closed her eyes forcing another tear to slip out. Ren quickly wiped it away, and she caught his hand abruptly.

Kyoko couldn't speak, too many words and emotions were lodged in her throat. She tried to swallow, and it was painful, so she simply nodded. She looked up at him and nodded, yes. _Yes, I will always believe in you. I love you, nothing will change that. _Her mind and heart were finally one with that thought, and it hurt not to say it.

A ghost of a smile spread across his lips making Kyoko want to cry out or laugh. Anything to make that smile grow into a real one. Instead she swallowed more emotions and raised her hand to his face. He leaned against her palm as she cupped it for a moment and then she glided her hand back to the base of his skull. Ren stay transfixed upon her as she pulled herself up, his eyes flickered to her lips as they came closer and his heart almost stopped as the thought of her pressing her lips against his filled every cell of his body; however those kissable lips moved past his lips and pressed against his forehead instead. Kyoko pressed a light kiss on the middle of his forehead and stayed there for more than a moment. She slid down with a sigh until her forehead pressed against his.

"I'll be here, when you are ready, I'll listen. I'll wait forever," she whispered honestly to him.


	12. Instructions

Chapter 12

They fell asleep in each other arms; however, Kyoko couldn't handle more than a ten minute nap. Yes, she loved him. Yes, she desired him, but to actually sleep in the same bed with him. No, she couldn't do that. She slipped out as carefully as she could and wrapped him in all of his blankets. Sleeping Ren did not instantly wrap himself in those sheets but did stay silently asleep as she crossed the room and slipped into her bed.

She closed her eyes and a few hours of sleep came to her, though her head filled with thoughts of him, his pain, his warm embrace, his dazzling smile and wishes and dreams of a love that would never come true. She awoke before him, her body on automatic when it came to time and when he would awaken. She glanced over at him and flushed bright red as she remembered what she did last night.

_Oh he is going to kill me, slipping out of character so much last night. _She thought to herself. He didn't of course. In fact absolutely nothing had changed between them. The next few days went by with little time for anything but work and school. Tragic Marker was progressing well with a few interesting observations.

Ren as Cain as BJ did a marvelous job no matter which role he was playing. He strengthened his role as Cain, being as endearing and needy as ever as her big brother and as the scary soulless monster, BJ. He never mixed the two personalities again, though he was more touchy when breaks came around. Another thing she noticed was that no one was really intimidated by her. She strived to be as cool and threatening like her big brother, yet she was approached more when she's alone than with Cain. Her whole purpose was to be his translator. He is the star, well the antagonist, and they all should be coming up to her so they could talk to him. However, it was always the moment when Cain left for some reason that someone would come up to her, ask her questions, about her, about him, about anything. The moment that Cain came back, they left. It was the oddest thing.

When she asked Cain about it, he put his arm around her and replied with a little glare to the crew, "Just stay close to me. Don't waste your time thinking about them." Setsu took his words to heart and simply left anyone who came to talk to her, seeking out Cain's company instead. Kyoko always wondered if she would be able to face all the people Setsuka was rude to. The level of rudeness she had to display always made her feel bad after words.

Thankfully, today was not a day to accumulate more animosity from the cast of Tragic Marker. Today, she was nervously waiting at the street for her ride to the audition. Kyoko took a deep calming breath and started pacing the street, back and forth on the little side walk. She was careful to stay still when someone passed by, but otherwise she kept moving. Before she knew it, a white Porsche pulled up beside her, and she glided into the slick sports car.

"Good Morning, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san," Kyoko greeted her seniors warmly, and they replied in kind.

"Are you ready for today, Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked instantly filling the silence in the car.

"Ah, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I didn't get much sleep last night," she admitted. Ren looked at her through the rearview mirror. She looked fresh as a daisy, bright eyed and a little jittery. He smiled to himself and set his sight back on the road, while Yashiro gave her a little pep talk. He had to admit that he was a little excited about today as well. Director Suzuki told him a little of what he wanted to do today.

There were four actresses he wanted to interview for the role. All of them were on the up and coming list of actresses so they weren't random people from the street. They all played a main role in a movie or show, not the lead but definitely part of the main cast. Director Suzuki wanted to give a new face a chance to play the lead, but to bring in the crowds he petitioned for Ren to play the love interest. Luckily for everyone involved, Ren agreed. The light hearted storyline would help counteract the darkness of Tragic Marker. Not to mention, Suzuki was an up and coming promising director, and this would showcase Tsuruga Ren while he played Cain Heel. Ren was asked to come in to give his professional opinion on the four actresses. Director Suzuki also wanted to pick the actress that generated the most chemistry with Ren. Ren has never had a problem with chemistry with his former co-stars, but he wouldn't say no to the director. There was no harm in his request.

Ren turned right towards the outskirts of town instead of left. He didn't have to drive far as he turned down a calm little neighborhood with a lot of trees. Movement in the back seat drew his attention and he saw Kyoko shrink down into her seat peering out at a small two story apartment building. He was about to ask why she was hiding when he saw the other woman he had to pick up on the side of the road.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko screamed out as Kanae slipped into the car. Her arm was stretched out keeping the pixie girl away from herself as she greeted the two men up front.

"Mo! Calm down," Kanae snapped at a weepy eyed Kyoko. She sighed and mumbled a good morning to her best friend making Kyoko grin widely.

"Are you excited about today, Moko-san? We are going to the same audition like the Kyurara commercial. Do you think we will be as lucky today as we were then? " Kyoko asked quickly filling the car with chatter.

"Most definitely not," Kanae replied blankly making Kyoko frown. "They are only hiring one actress, and I'm pretty sure that the script won't be changed into a ménage à trois." Kyoko flushed at the obvious answer. She was simply excited finding herself in the same situation as before. The ride over was short, filled with Kyoko's energetic voice and Kanae's attempted of apathetic replies, never mind the little smile that was always on her lips.

They were all stopped at the front desk. Yashiro stepped up first, his professional habits coming through. The two men were allowed through immediately while the two girls were escorted to a waiting room. There was only one other girl there, which Kanae proceeded to ignore immediately. Kyoko looked at her a little anxiously wanting to introduce herself. She looked nice, long dark brown hair with a pretty face. She wore a sheer dark blue chiffon layered cardi with a deep v-neck that buttoned around her waist. It looked very elegant with a very tight black mini skirt hugging her hips down to her black heels. She looked like she was going out to dinner.

Kyoko looked at Kanae. She was wearing something very light and airy for the warming spring days. A light cream colored halter top fell loosely around her neck, over her breast and down her stomach. It looked very comfortable and was soft and silky to the touch. It had a modest v-neck and the fabric fell over her hips where a pair of white pants hugged her legs down to white heels on her feet.

Kyoko frowned and looked at herself. She took the effort to dress up and was feeling pretty snazzy until she started looking around. She even had on make-up, light but it was still there. She was trying something a little more mature than her normal style, that of a college student, but looking at the other girls, she still felt childish. It was a simple white dress that slipped over her body and made her look almost shapeless until she moved. The cloth loved to hug whatever curves she had, so when she sat down, the fabric clung to her hips and thighs, when she walked it moved with her showing off her waist. There were bold dark blue designs on half of the 3/4 length sleeves and at the hem line around her thighs. She thought the dress was bright and pretty.

The door opened and a forth actress came sashaying in. She dyed her medium length hair a dark blonde color and had it styled to be wavy and wild. She wore the most casual and yet most revealing set of clothing among them. A semi-sheer black and green tank top, showing off glimpses of her stomach, then a pair of black jean shorts tattered at the seems and finally a pair of heels so high that Kyoko knew she would break her leg if she tried to wear them.

Kyoko saw Kanae looking at the new girl as well. Kyoko leaned in and whispered, "Do you think I am underdressed?"

"Not compared to her," Kanae said normally making the mentioned girl glance at them. Instead of turning towards them, she ignored them taking a seat at the back of the room. The room was extremely quiet compared to the last audition Kyoko was in. There was significantly less people in the room and everyone kept to themselves, including Kanae and Kyoko. About thirty minutes passed before someone came in to signal the start of the audition.

"Welcome ladies, I am the director, Suzuki Izanagi," Director Suzuki introduced himself. He was young, at most mid twenties. He was handsome in a traditional way, average height with thick black hair that looked like it needed a cut. He had small glasses but a very nice smile. He was fit if you took in his biceps but not overly so given his lanky build.

"Thank you all for coming. All of you are here to audition for the part of Miyamoto Aika for my film, Love's Rival. I am very eager to get started on this film especially since we were able to sign Tsuruga Ren as our male lead." There was a crash on the floor the moment Ren's name was stated. Everyone turned to find the first actress in the dark blue blouse spill the contents of her purse onto the floor. She blushed a dark red as she quickly gathered her items and stuffed them back into her purse. She gestured to the director to keep going and he did.

"There are two parts of the audition: a small question and answer to get to know you better and then each of you will be playing a small scene with Tsuruga-san. I'm not sure how many auditions everyone has been in but my assistant will be taking you one at a time instead of all together. We will do both parts together, and you are free to go once your interview is complete. We will call your agency to inform you as to whether you got the part or not," he explained with a smile. Kyoko didn't really know if this was unusual or not since she had only been in one other audition. The only one who didn't seem to like this arrangement was the last actress to come in.

"What are we going to do for the scene?" The blondish actress shouted out rudely. Kanae clicked her tongue annoyed by the outburst of the last actress in tacky clothes, but turned to the director when he spoke.

"Yes, I was about to explain that, Matsumoto-san," he replied calmly. "I would like to know how well each of you will work with our leading man. I have seen Tsuruga-san's work and know he will be an exceptional Kenta, just as I know each of you would create a colorful Aika, but if there is no heat between the two stars then the audience won't respond to the love in the story."

"So then you want us to play a scene from the script," Matsumoto again interrupted, bringing out a small glare from Kanae.

"No," Suzuki stated. "I know what my film is like. I know what is written and the love that will be portrayed on film. I want to know how well you act with Tsuruga-san in your own created scene of love."

"You want us to show love to the most handsome actor in Japan?" Matsumoto said with a laugh. "Well that will be easy." Kyoko didn't think so. In actuality, she felt more confused than ever. The fact that Matsumoto kept interrupting didn't help matters at all.

"I do have a few rules for it," Suzuki interjected, "It will only be 2-5 minutes long. The scene is simple. You are saying goodbye to the man you love." He paused to let that sink in. "This will be improvised by you, and Tsuruga-san will act accordingly. You will not have any time to speak to him. He will respond to what you do or say, most of all, in the way you act. In other words, if you ask him where he is going, he will reply with something vague until you let him know where you want him to go. He could be going to the grocery store, away on a business trip, leaving the relationship, anything you want. I want you to show your love to him by saying goodbye. There also has to be a kiss somewhere in the scene."

It was Kyoko's turn to draw some attention. She squeaked in protest, her voice ready to scream out her disapproval of this last detail. A kiss? Why did she have to kiss him for a simple audition? There were plenty of kiss scenes in the movie, wasn't that enough for him?

"Is there something you want to say, Kyoko-san?" Suzuki asked when they heard her squeak. She quickly shook her head and bowed over in apology.

"Very well. We will give you ten minutes to think about your goodbyes. Remember, it doesn't matter if it is a sad or happy goodbye, I just want to see how much you love him in it. My assistant, Ine-san, will come and get one of you in random. I would state to not collaborate with each other, however, all of you are competing for this role, so I don't believe it is necessary. Good luck to each of you, and I'll speak to each of you soon."

The moment Director Suzuki closed the door, everyone went into their own heads trying to figure out this puzzle of an audition. They were so use to having everything written out for them that two out of the four girls were putting their minds on overtime. The other two girls, however, were thinking completely different things.

Kanae sat there thinking about the scene she was going to do. Dozens of thoughts and ideas came rushing through her mind, yet she found herself irritated, and that irritation was increasing by the nanosecond.

"MO!" she whispered harshly, "Stop thinking about the damn kiss!"

Kyoko was frozen, beyond motionless, the very moment her mind was free to think about the up and coming event. She had to kiss Ren. It was part of the audition, she had to kiss him within the next hour.

Kiss.

Ren.

Now.

Kyoko groaned making Kanae sigh in frustration. "What is the big deal? You're in love with him. That alone will make it easier for you than for me," Kanae whispered harshly to her. Then another thought came to mind and Kanae glared at Kyoko for a moment, "Did you even read the script?"

Kyoko turned a confused look to her and replied, "Of course, I did."

Kanae almost believed that she didn't read it. If she didn't, Kanae would have disowned Kyoko as a rival and maybe a friend. "Then you know that you would have to kiss him if you got the role. Why are you freaking out about it now?"

"Because it's NOW!" Kyoko yelled out making the other two girls turn sour looks at the two chatter boxes. Kyoko blushed and apologized then turned back to Kanae. "I thought I would have some time, to sort of get use to the idea, some time to prepare myself for it. This is too soon. To kiss him when I'm like this, it's too much. I can't. There is no pos..."

"BREATHE," Kanae ordered and glared at Matsumoto who was about ready to snap at them. Kyoko took a moment and took a very large deep breath. At this exact moment, the door opened with Director Suzuki's assistant, Ine stepping in.

"Matsumoto Hana," the older woman wearing a very respectful suit called out into the room. The dirty blonde woman stood up and sashayed across the room, giving Kanae and Kyoko an arrogant little smirk before joining Ine at the door.

"Amateur," Kanae murmured and turned to find Kyoko hyperventilating.

"Kyoko, calm down," Kanae put her arm around Kyoko's shoulder and shook her gently. She lowered her voice to a bare whisper, "He didn't say you had to kiss his lips. He said there had to be a kiss involved. You need to focus about how you are going to say goodbye and not about a stupid two second kiss."

Kyoko blinked. "Two seconds," she repeated Kanae's words and remembered the soft sweet kisses that Hikaru gave her. She smiled to herself, and she started to calm down. That was all they were asking for, a small kiss. Then the more she thought about it the more her face started to flush. Even if it was a small kiss, she still had to do it with Ren. Her heart started hammering and her face grew red as she started thinking about this very spontaneous yet somehow planned kiss.

Audition 1:

Ren sat on the last seat of a long table along with three other people. One of them was Director Susuki, the second was the casting director, Kato Mitsuru and lastly Hayashi Aya, the producer. Yashiro sat behind them along with Suzuki's assistant, Ine's currently empty seat. When Director Susuki explained what he wanted from Ren, he found himself excited at the prospect of it. Improvising a scene based on whatever his co-star said and reacted sounded like fun. Internally, Ren was grinning like a child with a new toy, eager to see what Kyoko was going to do. He was also worried if he was going to be able to respond to what the actresses wanted from him. The director had so much faith in him, he was hoping that he could live up to his expectations.

The first actress entered, and Ine took her seat next to Yashiro. In front of the casting panel was a single chair. Next to the long table was a camera trained on the room that was already recording for the created scenes. If the actress felt intimidated by everything, she didn't show it. She sat down in the chair in front of them confidently, crossed her legs and waited for someone to speak. Director Suzuki started it up by introducing each person of the panel to her then asked her to introduce herself.

"My name is Matsumoto Hana," she started, "I'm 17 years old, born and raised in Tokyo. I started acting when I was 14, playing supporting roles in From Today On and Yesterday or Tomorrow. I have also been the voice actor in several animes targeting children." Ren thought her attitude was very calm and collect if not a bit short and almost rude. Though she was straight to the point, she seemed to have a level head. Just from her resume, she had to be able to display emotion through her tone of voice well if she was a voice actor.

"What are you currently doing now?" Kato, the casting director asked.

"I'm currently the voice actor of Reiko in Just Between Us and Yumi in All Your Love," she replied casually.

"Most of your work is in voice acting. Is there a reason for that?" Kato asked. Matsumoto pressed her lips together briefly. It was apparent that the voice acting was for continuous work and not really by choice.

"I think voice acting is a lot of fun, and I enjoy the challenge of trying to express emotions through my voice alone and see it animated on screen. It also helps with my breathing and delivery," she explained convincingly. Ren thought it a very good response for something she obviously didn't want to do.

"I trust you have read the script?" Producer Hayashi asked her question. Matsumoto simply nodded. "Are you willing to change your physical appearance to better match our Aika?" Again she only nodded.

"Why do you want to be in this film?" Suzuki asked the next question.

Matsumoto straightened in her chair and crossed her legs the other way and smiled as she answered, "I know I am perfect for this role, and I want to show the world my talent with your film."

It was a rather basic and conventional answer, so Suzuki continued to the last question, "What do you enjoy the most about the character, Aika?"

"I love that she is trying to defy her father and social standards by doing what she wants to do, instead of conforming to the 'woman's role'," she replied making the casting director smirk. It was obvious by her demeanor that she was all about rebelling though she was smart enough to not be outrageous about it. She dressed to draw attention but wasn't slutty, she knew when to state her opinion and when to give a proper response. If she was too extreme they would have kicked her out the moment she entered even if she does walk a fine line at the moment.

"Very good," Suzuki said and then asked, "Are you ready for your scene?"

"Yes," Matsumoto answered, and Ren stood up. He walked up and was about to bow when she stuck out her hand. He smiled, clasped her rather cold hand and shook it. She smiled and let go getting into character.

She bent down and pretended to grab something, "Here is your briefcase," she stated with a sweet and cheery smile.

"Thank you," Ren smiled back and grasped the thin air by her hand. As soon as he took it, she turned around and took a few steps. She pretended to lift a box and turned to him lifting the "object" into the air that that same smile on her lips.

"Your bento. I made your favorite," she stated and then blushed, "I didn't burn it this time. I promise you'll enjoy it."

Ren laughed, "I'm sure it will be delicious."

"You always say that," she said shyly. "At least I know you didn't marry me for my cooking," she giggled and stepped up to him.

Ren gently took her chin and smiled sweetly at the girl that was his wife. "I married you because you were my other half not for what you can do for me," he said softly, sincerely making the rebel girl blush a dark red. She turned her head away, slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

"You won't overwork and forget about dinner tonight, right?" She asked, speaking into his neck. She was rather tall in her heels. Ren hugged her back and kissed the side of her head.

"Nothing could keep me away tonight. 8 o'clock at Kamikura's," he stated, and she looked up at him with a big happy smile.

"Good. Be careful going to work, and call me if you need anything," she told him.

"I will," Ren replied. She smiled and then tilted her head to her right. She leaned up and offered her lips to him. He leaned down that short distance and kissed her. It was soft without any extras. She pressed her lips on his, giving him a sweet short kiss and then fell back away with a smile.

"Bye, sweetheart," she stated and stepped back dropping out of character. She turned to the panel and bowed. The panel was a little stunned by her performance and had to question it.

"Thank you, Matsumoto-san. You did very well," Director Suzuki said. "but your answer with what you liked about Aika and what you showed us was completely different. Why is that?"

Matsumoto grinned, happy that they noticed her obvious ploy. "I wanted to show you that I am willing and capable to do anything it takes to get this role."

Whether the panel approved of her actions, they didn't show it. Director Suzuki simply dismissed her, "Thank you again. We will contact you as soon as we make our decision. Thank you for coming in."


	13. Audition: Part 1

Chapter 13

Audition 2:

Ren sat back down as Ine followed Matsumoto out of the room to collect the next actress. He wasn't expecting a stay at home wife scene from the girl that seemed to rebel against the whole structure of it. He didn't know which part of her personality was true, the rebellious side or this sweeter one, either way she did well portraying both. Yashiro retrieved a bottle of water for Ren, and he thankfully drank it, relieving his thirst and erasing the feel of the girl's lips from his.

Ine entered the room with the next actress in tow rather quickly. Ren almost choked as he saw Kyoko step into the room. He unconsciously started licking his lips and drinking more water as to destroy any evidence of kissing another woman while in Kyoko's presence. Kyoko came in like a nervous ball of energy. Ine walked her to the chair, gestured to it and intended to walk back to her seat without stopping; however, Kyoko wished to extend her thanks making the slightly older assistant to stop.

"You're welcome, Kyoko-san," Ine said a little astonished as Kyoko bowed her thanks to the woman for escorting her in. Ren couldn't help the little smile at Kyoko's kind actions as she started to acknowledge the other parties in the room. She instantly introduced herself without being asked.

"Hello everyone," Kyoko stated and bowed deeply. She stood up and looked each of them in the eye. "I am Kyoko from LME," she stated using her stage name, "Thank you all for taking the time today to hold this audition. I wish all of you luck in your decision making today."

Ren wanted to laugh at all the stunned faces in the room. He glanced at Yashiro who was shaking his head chuckling softly to himself.

"Thank you, Kyoko-san," Producer Hayashi stated as she was the first to recover from the polite attack Kyoko inflicted. Hayashi introduced herself and everyone in the room including Ren. Kyoko bowed and greeted each and every one of them as they were introduced and even greeted Yashiro and Ine once Hayashi was done.

"Please have a seat if you like," Hayashi offered to the still standing actress. They all watched her bow once again, swipe her arm behind her bottom to tuck her dress neatly under her legs and sit down with the posture that people couldn't dream of achieving without years of back breaking practice. Ren had to admit she looked positively gorgeous in that white and blue dress. Her hands lightly clasped in her lap, her knees together and her feet swept to the side, she looked like an elegant wealthy lady.

"Would you like something to drink, Kyoko-san?" Kato asked sincerely bringing Ren's attention to him. He looked star struck, and Ren fought not to glare at the man.

Kyoko shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm fine," she replied politely. It seemed like Ren wasn't the only one that thought to treat her like the lady she portrayed.

"Would you tell us a little about yourself and your previous and current work," Suzuki asked starting off the questioning.

"Absolutely," she said with a big smile, "I started acting just last year at age 16. I turned 17 this past December. I was very fortunate to join LME's talent division where I found out my love of acting doing an assistant job for another LME talent. I was able to join LME's acting classes and through them found many opportunities to learn and refined my skill. I have played in a variety show, a promotional video, and two dramas. One of which I am currently participating in."

The casting director, Kato, was looking down at the paperwork as he spoke. "You played one of the antagonists in Dark Moon, Hongo Mio. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Kyoko replied.

"That is impressive, Kyoko-san," Hayashi chimed in, "I've seen that drama, the original and remake, and I found your Mio especially chilling."

Kyoko blushed and bowed slightly in her seat, "Thank you very much. It was my first main role, and I was able to work with wonderfully talented people, allowing me to learn so very much. I was very lucky to be able to play that role. I will miss it dearly."

"Then you've worked with Tsuruga-san before?" Kato asked another question. Kyoko smiled brightly and glanced at Ren who returned a professional smile of his own.

"Yes," she replied excitedly. "I have had the pleasure, and I hope to do so again."

"How would you feel acting opposite him as a love interest instead of as an enemy?" Kato asked again, a curious suspicion in his voice.

"It would be a great honor," Kyoko answered honestly making Ren blush a little. "He has been very kind, helping me with acting advice and encouragement in pursuing something that we both love. I had always hoped that we would be able to act together again. I'm very happy that it would be so soon after Dark Moon. If I get the part that is," she added with a little laugh making everyone smile at her cheeriness.

"You are currently playing Kitazawa Natsu in a drama Box 'R'. It is listed as another antagonist role," Suzuki voiced his one real concern, "With you playing all of these villain roles, how do you expect to play a protagonist for Love's Rival?" Kyoko smiled in understanding, knowing that this might have been a worry. It was a worry for her as well to be type-casted like this. She hoped that this film would break that spell.

"Yes, it is another antagonist role, but it is very different from playing Hongo Mio," Kyoko explained, "While the role is listed as antagonist, the situation of each character is vastly different. The thoughts and feelings between Hongo Mio and Kitazawa Natsu are like the sun and the moon. Each character will react to the same situation differently because they are two different people. Miyamoto Aika will be a new face, a new personality with new thoughts and actions like all my other characters. One will not influence the other."

Ren smiled widely, hiding it behind his hand. That was such a great answer, he was instantly proud of his little kohai. The others thought her answer was satisfactory as well and continued their questions.

"Are you willing to alter your physical appearance for the role?" Hayashi asked Kyoko.

"Yes," Kyoko responded, "I read that Aika has long black hair. Is it acceptable that I wear a wig for the lack of length in my hair?" She asked sincerely worried about that obvious challenge. There was no way for Kyoko to grow out her hair in the two weeks it started filming. Suzuki laughed and nodded at the innocence of this actress.

Hayashi leaned in towards Suzuki, and Ren heard her whisper softly, "I find it difficult to believe that this girl played Hongo Mio. She's too sweet and polite."

They turned towards Ren which he just nodded. "It's the same girl," he replied. "Though I'm sure she would be willing to give you a demonstration if you like."

Suzuki looked at the time and shook his head. "We don't have the time for that. Let's move on.

"Why do you want to be in this film?" Suzuki asked.

"For the challenge of learning a new character, for the opportunity of working with new and old," she looked to Ren with a smile, "talents, and the ability to be able to make my vision of Aika come alive in your film. I would so very much like to act her out and hopefully fulfill the vision of your movie."

Hayashi raised an eyebrow intrigued. "You already created Aika?"

"Yes, I have read the script numerous times and believe my Aika is true to your storyline," Kyoko said confidently again making Ren smile like a proud parent.

"So what do you like most about Aika?" Suzuki asked the final question.

"Her spirit and her determination to be happy. She is working so very hard to simply be happy even with all the pressure and expectations of her family trying to change her. She wants the acceptance of her father so very badly that she works herself to the bone. For Aika to work so much on getting her degree and trying to gain her father's blessing for her dream is something I find admirable," Kyoko said with a dreamy look in her eyes. Hayashi couldn't help the smile on her face and nodded very softly at Kyoko's answer.

"Are you ready for your scene?" Kato asked eager to see how this actress will do in the improvisation.

Kyoko flushed lightly, noticed only by the two men who knew her as she stood up and bowed. "Yes," she answered with confidence.

Ren stood up with his heart pounding loudly in his chest. He walked over to the girl of his dreams and instantly wanted to wrap her into his arms. They were playing a couple in love, he was allowed to do that wasn't he? No, he had to wait for her cues, her words or actions to tell him who he was, where he was going and what the situation between them was. Not to mention why he would ever say goodbye to this gorgeous creature in front of him. Couldn't she come with him?

Ren watched her turn away, facing her back towards him. She took a deep breath, and he figured that she needed a moment to get into character. He watched her wrap her arms around herself, hugging herself and her posture slowly started to wilt. His face fell into concerned lines as she started to tremble softly and tightened her hold around herself. She suddenly turned around plastering a fake smile on her lips and looked up at him with big wet eyes.

"I'm so very happy for you, Ren," she said with a fake enthusiasm. Instead of frowning which he knew he should be doing because of her actions, he almost smiled at hearing her call him so familiarly. He had to remember that he was acting as well and to respond according to her acting. He frowned as she continued to speak.

"I know this has always been a dream for you," she said again with a voice straining not to fall apart. "You have been working so very hard and long for this opportunity, and he finally offered it to you." Despair started filling him as he watched her. It took everything in her not to cry, not to crumble at this news that was obviously something he wanted very badly. He took a step towards her, his hand raising up to touch her, hold her but fell short when she took a tentative step back. She was still hugging herself, her arms closing herself off to him and the supposable happy news.

"Then why do you look like you're about to cry?" Ren asked softly. He was worried, frightened and sad looking at the woman he loved completely heartbroken about his announcement.

"What this?" She gestured to her face and forced out a laugh. "These are happy tears." Kyoko started walking around the area pretending to fix things or clean as if trying to busy herself while wiping away the moisture from her eyes. "This is it. Your big chance. You'll be able to tour the world, meet new people and learn new cultures. For your editor to finally let you out into the field instead of all those paparazzi photos you always take, this is wonderful," Kyoko stated again, looking everywhere but directly at him. So Ren was a photographer, and he was going out on assignment, a long assignment. Even with the different job, each word she spoke was being sent directly into his heart, and it was painful. His dream of over coming his father, of being a better actor than him and making it in America. It was as if it came true and this was him telling her he had to leave. He knew that if anyone came to Tsuruga Ren for a part in a major American film, he would instantly say yes, but now as he looked at the woman in front of him, desperately trying to support him and ignore her own fears and displeasure, he started to wonder if his dream was still the same.

"The assignment was for three months, right?" She asked, her voice ready to choke, instantly interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah," Ren replied quietly. Why did she pick three months? Why not three weeks or three days? His heart was aching with indecision. He wanted to go, and he wanted to stay at the same time. He took another step towards her and called out, "Kyoko...,"

"Three months," she interrupted. She glanced at him with a watery smile and looked around realizing she didn't have anything to distract herself. She rung her hands together and forced herself to look up at Ren for more than a second. "That's not very long. You'll be having so much fun out there, that I'm sure that time will just fly by. In fact, you might want to stay longer." Her voice crack as she said the last line, and she had to turn away as a tear fell from her eye. She moved the chair between them, hiding herself from him as she tried to secretly wipe away the tear.

"I won't," Ren whispered and paused as he waited for her to look at him. When she didn't he stepped up to her, moving the stupid chair from his way and gently took her hand. She turned her tear filled eyes up at him, and he almost doubled over at the pain in his chest. "Kyoko, it will only be for three months. If I get the shots the magazine wants early, I might be able to return sooner."

Kyoko shook her head, slipping her hand out of his. "You should do the full three months. You don't know if you will ever get this again. Plus, I have the restaurant. The chef is always very busy, so don't worry about me, Ren," she said honestly.

"How could I not?" He whispered as he brushed away another tear from her cheek.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko whispered and threw herself into his arms. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be like this," she cried into his chest.

"If you tell me to stay, I'll stay," Ren quickly embraced her, wanting to ease the pain, to stop the tears that he was causing to the woman he loved. His next course of actions was to take her with him, but she had responsibilities here at home. He couldn't take away her dream for his selfish desires just as she couldn't for hers.

Kyoko shook her head again. "No, like you said it's for three months. You'll be able to capture real people, real images and be a serious photographer instead of selling dark blurry shots of stars in the dark to those stupid tabloids. You helped me get my dream restaurant; I want to support your dreams too." She hugged him tightly, closed her eyes and whispered to him, "I'll be here, waiting for you to come back. I'll wait for your phone calls, your letters and welcome you back with open arms after the three months. I love you Ren, and..."

She didn't get to finish. The moment those words left her lips, she was pulled back, and Ren's lips came crashing down on hers. Kyoko was stunned at first but recovered quickly. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ren pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her small frame, his hands sliding across the silky fabric of her dress, feeling the softness of her body underneath.

The kiss lasted longer than two seconds. It felt like it was lasting longer than two minutes, yet it only seemed that way to those watching. To the two involved, time had no meaning. Ren hungrily kissed her lips. He pressed his lips against hers and opened his jaw to lightly suck her lower lip. Kyoko hesitated at first, but quickly started mimicking his movements. He felt her hands sink into his hair making him moan softly into her mouth. His mind and body went into overdrive as he felt Kyoko responding positively to him. He wanted more, wanted to taste and explore her mouth. To keep her there in his arms forever but a gentle cough in the room brought him back to reality. He forced himself to break the kiss, her heated ragged breath steamed the air between them as he looked into her half lidded eyes.

_Oh my God, what a kiss. That was a kiss right? Why did he stop? Is that what a kiss is suppose to be like? Oh boy, I feel weak. _Kyoko's mind was in a fog and her body wasn't listening to her as she tried to regain control of her knees. Thankfully, Ren somehow knew that she couldn't stand on her own power and continued to hold her close. She felt his breath on her cheek, and she had to blink to focus on what he was doing. His face was so close, his lips were wet and red from their kiss, and she found herself wanting to close that distance once again. He must have seen her desires as he held her close and kissed her again softly but briefly. He broke the kiss long before she was ready and pressed his forehead against hers.

"I love you more than words can express, Kyoko," Ren whispered, and it took everything Kyoko had to keep her eyes closed and her body relaxed. "I'll call you every day and send you pictures of everything I see. Know that you have and always will occupy my thoughts every second of every day." He pulled away and looked into her eyes. She blinked and met the most sincere and heart stopping face she has ever seen. "I'll miss you so much, Kyoko," he whispered and kissed her softly again.

She placed her hand on his cheek and returned his kiss. "You have no idea how much I'll miss you, Ren," she confessed softly, running her fingers around his ear to comb back the strands of hair falling forward. She pulled away to looked into his eyes. "Promise me you'll come back safely? I..." her eyes started to water, "I don't know what..."

"I promise," Ren interrupted before she could say any negative thoughts. "I will come back. I won't be a single day late. You know how punctual I am," he said jokingly making her laugh. Kyoko started laughing so much in fact that he joined her. Tears fell freely from her eyes, but she continued to laugh as he pulled her into his arms once again for another hug.

Ren felt her pull away and wished that this wasn't a scene, but before she pulled away completely she whispered to him softly, only for his ears, "You're so funny, Tsuruga-san. Are you trying to make me lose character?"

Ren turned his face away from the panel and granted her a real smile. "I wanted you to stop crying," he admitted and wiped away another tear from her cheek. She blushed and started cleaning off her face.

"Thank you, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said as she stepped back, breaking the intimacy of their scene and returning to reality. He straighten up, forcing himself to regain composure now that the scene was over.

"It was a pleasure, Kyoko-san," he said making her blush lightly. He was allowed to use her stage name if that is how he is suppose to know her. He turned to walk back to his seat finding a very smug knowing look from Yashiro and the other three of the casting panel whispering to themselves. He sat down and Suzuki turned to dismiss Kyoko.

"Thank you very much, Kyoko-san. That was impressive. We will call to inform you if you got the part or not," Suzuki said with a straight face.

Kyoko bowed with a bright smile. She bounced back up and said goodbye, "Thank you! I hope to hear a positive reply from you soon. Please take care."


	14. Audition: Part 2

Chapter 14

Audition 3 & 4:

The next actress's audition was a sobering experience. She came in behind Ine obviously over excited about this - or rather him. The moment she came into view, her eyes kept darting over to Ren. He doubted that five seconds could pass without her looking over at his direction with a huge toothy smile on her face. She couldn't sit still in her chair as the questions started.

"My name is Kiyomizu Suzu. I'm nineteen and started acting recently. I have been modeling for the past three years in a teen girl's fashion magazine," she said with enthusiasm. The moment that she stated that she was a model, Ren wondered why he never worked with her, but she was signed to something he would never do. Those types of magazines might feature him or ask him questions but they wouldn't have him model fashion for it.

"What are you currently doing now?" Suzuki asked as Kato was writing a little note down on his file.

"I'm still modeling for the magazine. My first role recently ended. I played the lead, a heartbroken girlfriend in Home Without You. It was a made for TV movie," she replied. It seems she had the smallest resume than any of the other actresses, but they liked that she has done a movie and was the main character of said film while the others were all supporting roles. However, her lack of professionalism concerning a certain handsome actor wasn't lost on anyone in the room. Her eyes were constantly feasting on the male lead, who was sitting quietly at the end of the table.

"Are you willing to change your physical appearance to better match our Aika?" Kato asked trying to draw her attention back to the situation at hand.

"Yes," she replied quickly. "You can cut and dye my hair, change my eye color or I can lose weight or even gain if I need to. Anything to get the role." Kato frowned and shook his head mumbling how that wasn't necessary.

"Why do you want to be in this film?" Suzuki asked the next question.

"When I saw that Tsuruga-san might be playing the male lead, I instantly wanted a chance to play the female lead," she confessed and here is where Ren started paying attention to what was happening in front of him. If he had to confess, he was replaying the kiss he had from Kyoko over and over in his head as Suzu's audition went on. Since his name was mentioned, he thought it was time to act but only found the young girl was gushing on and on about him.

"I have been following your career the moment that you appeared, Tsuruga-san, everything you've acted in and everything you've modeled. My dream is to be exactly like you, acting and modeling. Just thinking about working with you is already a dream come true."

The room was quiet and everyone only had eyes for Ren. He coughed to clear his throat and gave the girl a small smile. "Um, thank you Kiyomizu-san. I'm flattered," he tried to be tactful and appreciative without wanting to show his concern about her. Truthfully, everything about this girl screamed fan girl and told him to have her escorted out of the room.

"Did you read the script?" Hayashi asked wondering if she even glanced at the script.

"Yes, it's funny and exciting," she stated and started to tell them her thoughts on the film, "I love the build up between the characters, how they start off as enemies but end up with each other. Then with all the drama with Aika's family getting in the way of their blooming relationship, it's all very dramatic. I would really like to be casted for this role." That answered the next question without it having to be asked, so they continued.

"Are you ready for your scene?" Suzuki asked.

"YES!" she yelled out making everyone jump up. Ren gingerly stood up from his seat a little frightened but stepped up to the actress. She moved the chair out of the way while he approached and turned back towards him in a flurry. He wanted to pat her head or rub the tip of her ears like trying to calm down an overly excited puppy but no doubt she would faint or attack him if he did. She stuck out his hand to shake his. He smiled politely and shook her slightly damp hand. Suzu was so nervous, he felt a little bad for her. That is until she started her "acting."

"I'm going to miss you so much, Ren," she said with a big sparkling eyes and a half formed smile. He wasn't sure if she was trying to cry or smile or what but he understood the words she said. He stepped up to her closing in the distance between them and gently cupped her face in his hand.

"I'll be back soon, Suzu. I...," Ren didn't get to say another word. The moment he said her name she jumped up, put her arms around him and plastered her lips on his. His eyes widened, but he was suppose to be playing along so he kissed her back. The only problem was that she wasn't letting go. In fact he felt her coming closer and her hands starting to roam. Her tongue snaked over his lips as her hand slid over his chest and around his waist. He's ashamed to say that it wasn't until her hand started to grabbing his butt that he felt she wasn't acting. He started to push her away, using his height to break the kiss. She whined and started kissing his neck as he pushed her hands away.

"Kiyomizu-san, please stop," he whispered to her drawing her attention. Her eyes were heavy lidded and her lips full and pouty.

"Call my Suzu again," she cooed trying to kiss him. He sighed and forcefully pushed her away making her stumble on her high heels. She whined tried to weasel her way out of his firm grim to get back on him when Yashiro finally came up to him. He took a hold of the girl and started walking her out of the room while Ren wiped his mouth of the girls cherry flavored lipstick.

"Ah, sorry, Tsuruga-san," Suzuki said a little embarrassed but at the same time laughing, "We didn't know if that was what she was intending or if she just lost herself around you."

Hayashi looked up at Ren, who was standing by his seat and finishing off the bottle of water he had. "Granted given how she was acting, we should have thought better of it," Hayashi said trying to coddle their key star.

"At the same time, that wasn't much different to the heated kiss you gave the last actress. It was just as spontaneous and enthusiastic as well," Kato said a little sourly.

Ren was tempted to glower at the man at his accusation when Yashiro came back with the last actress, Kotonami Kanae. Ren got another bottle of water and almost had that one done before Yashiro returned to his seat behind Ren. Ren sat down but leaned back to his manager.

"What took you so long to stop that?" Ren whispered to his manager.

Yashiro snickered in reply. "It looked like you enjoyed it." Ren gave him an incredulous look making Yashiro grin. Ren glared at him momentarily before returning to the last audition.

Kanae sat down in the chair like she was ready to challenge the world and in a way it was like that. She had to challenge everyone and compete with everyone who wanted this role and to her this was her world. She looked elegant as always, she always had such a mature style something that fit her to a T. Kato started the round this time, introducing the panel and then asking her to introduce herself.

"My name is Kotonami Kanae. I am 18 and have been acting my entire life," she said seriously.

Kato frowned as he looked over her file. "It states here that you started acting last year," he stated wanting her to clarify her claim.

"I started acting professionally last year, with a soda commercial, then a made for TV movie and two TV dramas. I have, however, been acting since I was in grade school. I knew from the moment that I stepped on stage that I wanted to be an actor and pursued every opportunity since," Kanae explained. More than her explanation of her background, they were impressed by the number of jobs she has held within a year.

"What are you currently doing now?" Suzuki asked.

"I'm still doing the Minamori Miyako Series and Sukura, the historical drama," Kanae stated calmly.

"Don't you think acting in three separate roles will be taxing on your time, Kotonami-san? We do not want to be recording this film six months down the road," Hayashi asked a little concerned about her commitments.

"Not at all," Kanae replied, "I am in a supporting role for both series and my services are not required very often. I can assure you that my schedule will not hinder production." Ren really didn't feel this was an issue either. He was probably more in demand that she was and could make hers fit his.

The next question would be about her appearance, however, she already looked the part. Long beautiful black hair and the perfect figure for the Aika they envisioned. Suzuki thought that the actual Aika walked in the door. It seemed that all three of the casting panel agreed since none of them thought to ask that question.

"Why do you want to be in this film?" Suzuki asked her. Here Kanae felt like she couldn't speak the whole truth. She wanted the role to further her career, to finally make her debut and show the world what a wonderful actress she was, to finally get the fame she deserved. She decided that a half truth was in order.

"I would be lying if I said that I don't see the grand opportunity this film creates for me. Though beyond that I fell in love with the script. Aika has everything going for her, a home, family, and wealth, not to mention a man that loves her and will provide everything for her, but instead of conforming to a life she knows would make her unhappy, she rises up and challenges it. She wants to be her own person not a product of her father's and more than that she wants love. She wants the kind of love that has fire - passion." Kanae wanted to smile as she had everyone nodding with a little smile. Even Ren had a little smile on his lips. She knew how to butter up people when it was required. She was made to be an actress, not only because of her skills on screen but also off.

It seemed that she tended to answer their questions before they were asked. They couldn't help but wonder if she had insider information. Not that it mattered, if she did or didn't. She answered everything correctly and beautifully. All that was left was her scene.

"That's all for the question and answers, are you ready for your scene?" Suzuki asked eager to see her performance.

"Yes, but I have a request," Kanae stated as she stood up.

"A request? What kind?" Hayashi asked curiously.

"A request of Tsuruga-san before we start. I promise that it will not give away my scene at all," Kanae asked carefully.

"Come tell me and allow me to decide," Hayashi asked. Kanae stepped over to the producer and whispered into her ear. Hayashi nodded, and Ren stood up. Kanae walked over to the chair instead of him and turned it 90 degrees clockwise.

"Could you please sit down, Tsuruga-san?" Kanae requested, gesturing to the chair. This was her request. It's true that her request did not reveal her plans, but he made no promises to continue sitting if her acting didn't provide a reason for him to do so. Ren sat down, his left side facing the panel. Kanae bowed once to the panel and then took her place at his right, kneeling down on the floor. She took his hand in hers and gently placed her cheek on top of their hands. She sighed and slumped as she started to cradle her face against the back of his hand. He watched her eyes start to water, and she squeezed her eyes closed tightly.

"You're cruel," she whispered softly.

Ren looked down at her, her sorrowful face and dark brown eyes that were ready to burst and didn't know what to say. Why was he cruel? Was it because he was leaving? Why was he leaving? She didn't reveal anything. He frowned down at her, and pressed his lips together as he thought about his part. He saw a tear fall down her face, and she twisted her head towards his hand, wiping her tear across his skin.

"You lied to me, told me all these pretty things, promising me forever," she said softly all the while another stray tear left her eyes. Her voice never cracking as she spoke to him, "You told me everything, your dreams and fears just as I told you mine. I thought," her voice dipped showing her emotion causing her to pause and swallow a lump in her throat as she tried to steady her voice. Ren looked at her sadly, painfully as he thought of all the lies he's been living. He gently lifted the fingers she was nuzzling making her back away slightly, allowing him to turn his hand and touch her face. She gave him a soft sad smile and permitted him to hold her face. She sobbed softly as she leaned her cheek against him and turned to kiss his palm. Ren let a small smile lift the corner of his lips until she pulled his hand away.

"You told me you were away on business, but you weren't on business," Kanae continued and looked up at him with hurt, angry eyes. "Were you? You were here, in this damn hospital bed, growing weaker, and giving up on everything, on us." Understanding hit Ren like a sledge hammer, he was dying, and Kanae was saying goodbye to him forever.

"I was trying to protect you," he whispered, and she roughly pulled away from him, standing up like a wraith.

"FROM WHAT?" She screamed out in a fury, tears streaming down her face. Ren looked up at her forlornly wishing she would understand.

"You were never suppose to find out," Ren confessed, "There was a chance but..."

"Yeah, the doctor told me," she whispered, her arms wrapping around herself, trying to hold herself together. She couldn't look at him as she spoke, "Some stranger told me about your condition just days away from..." Kanae couldn't say the last word, her eyes closed forcing more tears down her face. Ren wanted more than anything to stand and take her in his arms, to ease some of the pain in her heart, but he couldn't. A few days and whatever they did to him seemed to made him worse.

"Would you have ever told me?" She asked, turning back towards him with hate filled eyes. "Would I have ever found out?" She stomped towards him angrily. "Or would you have simply left, and I would have been left wondering where you were, what had happened until someday someone tells me that you're gone forever," she yelled at him, her face inches from his face. He frowned tormented at what he did to her and reached out for her.

"Kanae..."

"DON'T!" She screamed and slapped him. The moment she did however she collapsed beside him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" she cried and tenderly touched his face. "Are you okay? I didn't mean it. Are you hurt? Do you want me to call the nurse? I'll go get the nurse. Please be okay. I'm sorry." She stood up about ready to run out of the room when Ren snatched her hand making her stop. Even though she halted, she didn't turn back to him.

"Kanae, I never meant for it be this way," he whispered. When she didn't turn around, he continued, "Meeting you was never in my plan. I knew about this years before I met you, been battling this for so very long and then you came into my life." She turned around now, looking at their hands together as he spoke. "They told me about the procedure, but it was risky. My choice was to live another 3 or so years or try it out and get the chance to live the next thirty with you."

Kanae looked at him then, her hand gripped his tightly. He looked up into her tear filled eyes and felt his eyes water as he spoke, "I wanted forever, to live with you for much longer than three years."

Kanae cried harder this time, shaking her head. "You should have told me. You should have let me in, and we could have decided this together. I rather have three years with you than three days!"

"I know," Ren whispered softly, "I'm sorry." He raised her hand and gently kissed it making Kanae cry even more.

"Oh, Ren," she sobbed and threw her arms around him. It would have been easier if he was in fact in a bed, however, they both managed in the chair. She cried in his arms and then pulled away to face him. She opened her mouth to speak but choked. She closed her mouth as she caressed his face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again. Kanae whimpered softly and shook her head.

"It's okay," she cooed. "It's okay," she repeated and closed her eyes. "I love you," she breathed and then kissed him. The moment her lips pressed upon his, she stiffened and Ren felt her hesitate. He tried to get her to loosen up, to get her to respond but her kiss was extremely stiff, and she pulled away quickly, hiding her face with her hair. She stood up and wiped the tears from her face and bowed down.

"Thank you, Tsuruga-san," she said coolly, her character completely disappeared from her, and then she bowed down to the panel. Ren stood up, returned the bow and returned to his seat.

"Thank you, Kotonami-san. That was beautiful," Hayashi said, her eyes slightly watery.

"That was exceptional," Sazuki stated. "Thank you. We will let you know if you got the part or not soon."


	15. Results

Chapter 15

Kanae left, no doubt to meet up with Kyoko until Ren and Yashiro were free to take them home. Well he would take Kanae home, or wherever she wanted to go but Kyoko has to stay with him to become Setsu. Ren sat while the three creators discussed the four applicants.

"Well, right off the bat, Kiyomizu is gone. We would never get anything done if she is constantly attacking Tsuruga-san," Kato said. Suzuki laughed but all of them agreed. She was out.

"Let's go over Matsumoto." Suzuki pulled over her file and started off his views, "She would fit the rebellious role very well, and her scene showed that she was willing to go against her personal views to perform the role. I've seen her other works, and she has a lot of promise."

"But she is terribly rude," Hayashi stated as a negative.

"A lot of stars are rude," Kato stated, "You can't tell me that you haven't worked with an overbearing, rude, self-centered star." The three of the laughed, and Ren coughed quietly. The three of them looked over at Ren and blushed a little.

"Of course there are always exceptions," Hayashi quickly amended.

"It's fine," Ren said with a smile. "I've know my fair share of difficult actors," he confessed.

"What did you think of her, Tsuruga-san," Suzuki asked. "She did well with the goodbye scene."

"She did. I understood the scene after the very first line. It was fairly simple and to the point," Ren stated his thoughts and showed his disinterest in her without actually mentioning it. While she preformed well, it was boring and uninventive. She would do the job and the script will make up for her lack of creativity, so if they did choose her, Ren would have no problem with it.

"Hmm," Suzuki took in Ren's words and set her file aside but not dismissing it.

"Kyoko," Suzuki picked up the next file and looked it over.

"Rudeness is not an issue with this one. She was beyond polite and rather charming," Kato stated looking over his notes. "She's rather cute for the role. I was hoping for someone a little more mature," he finished.

"You haven't seen her other work, have you?" Hayashi countered. "She looks like a completely different person as Mio. I still find it hard to believe that she is Mio. I wonder what she looks like as Kitagawa Natsu."

"She's beautiful," Ren whispered softly to himself but Kato, who was sitting next to him, was the only one that heard him and frowned.

"I'm not so sure about her," Kato stated. "She's played nothing but evil girls. Aika is arrogant but not cruel."

Suzuki laughed. "I'm sorry, but that girl doesn't have a cruel bone in her body. In fact, I would be more worried about her not being able to portray Aika's tough personality."

"Plus her performance was wonderful. Wouldn't you think so, Tsuruga-san?" Hayashi asked with a little smile.

"Yes, she did very well," Ren said sincerely trying not to smile in remembrance. Kato watched him for a moment, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I believe Tsuruga-san's judgment might be a little biased. He's worked with her before and seems to favor her above the others, no matter how her performance was," Kato snapped out, envious of the younger, more handsome man sitting next to him.

"Now see here," Yashiro stood up and spoke out, "my client is a professional and would not give..." Ren raised his hand to stop Yashiro before he said too much.

"It's true that I am somewhat partial to Kyoko-san, however, it is only because I have worked with her and know her potential," Ren explained, "I am only giving you what you asked of me, my opinion. I would be happy to work with any of the three remaining actresses."

"Then what did you think of Kotonami Kanae?" Suzuki asked and they all looked at him waiting for an answer.

"She was the most inventive by far," Ren said with a little smile. "Kotonami-san is a brilliant actress, able to create such deep believable emotions in such a short amount of time. She would be able to bring out Aika exactly the way you want."

Suzuki smiled at him, agreeing with everything he said but one thing. "Uh-huh, and what about the kiss?" Ren blinked at him and swallowed knowing what he was implying.

"Yeah, we all saw that," Suzuki said as he looked over the file. "She was brilliant, a shoe in for the role. We wouldn't have to change her appearance, and she has a photographic memory. She's had the most experience and would provide a wonderful Aika, but there was no chemistry. The moment she kissed you, she was stiff as a board."

"Perhaps that was her first kiss," Kato tried to reason, "You shouldn't dismiss her just because of one bad kiss."

Suzuki sighed. "That may be so, but I prefer this one," he stated pulling Kyoko's file closer to him. "She has talent. She led Tsuruga-san exactly where she wanted him to be, and you have to admit that the kiss took your breath away."

Kato pressed his lips together. "It looked to me like Tsuruga-san jumped the gun. He kissed her long before she planned it, to me that said she failed that part of the audition."

Hayashi frowned at Kato's comment, "I didn't know this was a pass or fail test, Kato-san. We only wanted to see their skills and how they worked for our already signed star. I agree that it is between Kotonami-san and Kyoko-san. Tsuruga-san, did you feel that was the proper time to kiss her?"

Ren wanted to blush or hide under a table, but instead he hid behind his persona. "It felt like the right time," he lied casually. _No, it wasn't the right time. She still had more to say, but the moment she said those words with my name so lovingly, I couldn't help myself and kissed her. Don't punish her just because of my mistake._

"See," Hayashi stated. "I like the girl. I enjoyed watching her play Mio, and I think she would be a good Aika. She stated that she already created Aika in her head, and she doesn't have the challenging schedule like Kotonami-san. It's obvious that Tsuruga-san and her have chemistry, and we want the audience to fall in love with Aika and Kenta." Hayashi paused for a moment letting her words sink in.

"As Kotonami-san said, Aika wants a love with fire and passion. She will give that to us, more so than any of the others," Suzuki said thus confirming their decision.

_After Kyoko's Audition..._

Kyoko left the audition immediately wanting to run back into the audition room and tell Kanae every single little detail, but she couldn't. They couldn't stay once their audition was over, but her companions and ride was still inside; therefore, she was forced to wait anyway

The building holding the auditions was in the middle of a business district. It was filled with tall office buildings of banks, law offices and headquarters of major corporations. The buildings actually created a cement park of sorts. In the middle of everything was all cement with tables and chairs, booths and strategically placed patches of greenery. Young trees, bushes and newly blooming flowers tried to make the area seem prettier for the busy white collar folks. It proved to be fruitful though, as it was now lunch time with hungry people starting to come out of the woodworks. There were dozens of little restaurants and food service carts lining up the cement park ready and eager to serve.

She didn't grab anything to eat. Her mind immediately wondering if everyone else would want to eat after the auditions as well. Surely if she was hungry, they would be too - except for Tsuruga.

A small blush instantly formed on her face the moment he came to mind. Her hands came up and pressed against her heated cheeks as her mind went to the kiss he gave her. She gingerly touched her lips, a feather-like touch as if afraid that it would take away that memory with any contact. Her face was enflamed as the memory repeated in her mind and her knees started to feel weak again. She sat down, her hand against her chest to her hold her racing heart and took a deep breath.

An odd noise erupted from somewhere her confusing her for a moment. She looked around trying to identify the sound - _My phone. _ Kyoko quickly searched through her purse for her phone.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Kyoko! You answered. I wasn't sure if you were busy, but I wanted to call," Hikaru replied with an cheery tone.

Kyoko's right hand curled up into a tight fist as guilt racked through her. She took a breath and forced a smile on her lips. "Hikaru!" She said with a little too much enthusiasm, "It's nice hearing from you."

"So the audition was today. Since you answered does that mean it's over? How did it go?"

he asked enthusiastically.

Kyoko smiled became genuine as she heard his question. She was very eager to tell someone about her audition. "Wonderful, well, I think I did good. I mean they were all smiling, and they didn't seem to react negatively to anything, but then..."

"Hikaru!" A distant voice interrupted her from his side of the phone.

"Ah, sorry, Kyoko. Could you hold on for a moment?" Hikaru asked obviously annoyed that he was being called out by someone.

"Oh, sure," she replied, the wind from her sails a little deflated now. She held on patiently and found that Hikaru didn't take his phone away from his mouth and heard their conversation.

"Hikaru, we need to head back," the male voice stated who sounded like Shin'ichi but she wasn't too sure.

"What? They said we had a thirty minute break. It's been five," Hikaru complained.

"Is that Kyoko-chan?" The other man said teasingly and then his voice came loud and clear when he yelled into the phone, "HI KYOKO-CHAN!" She laughed now knowing that it was Shin'ichi.

"Hi, Shin'ichi-san," she said with a little giggle.

"She says hi," Hikaru relayed her statement to the other Ishibashi and added, "Give me like five minutes." Kyoko didn't hear Shin'ichi's response since Hikaru started to talk to her again, "Hey Kyoko, I'm sorry to do this to you but I need to go. Can we get together and you can tell me all about the interview, alright?"

"Okay, but I work tonight," she said sadly.

"That's right. I forgot," he said solemnly. "Am I still picking you up for Kimagura Rock?"

"Yes," Kyoko quickly responded, and then quickly added, "If you pick me up early then maybe we can do something?"

"Really? How early?" He asked a little suspicious.

"Hmmm," Kyoko had to think about her schedule. She only had school that day, but Tragic Marker could last late into the night. If that was so then she would have to stay late, but..."How about 2pm? Are you free then?" She offered.

"That's great," Hikaru cheered and then coughed, "Yeah, 2pm. I'll pick you up at your place." Kyoko laughed, pleased that he was happy again.

"Oh, um, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you pick me up at school?" She told him but didn't hear a reply right away. She frowned a little confused and was about to suggest another location when he spoke.

"Yeah, sure," he said a little unsure then asked, "What school do you go to?" She told him the name of the campus, the silence on the other end a little deafening as she said "high school", but continued to give him directions.

"I know where it is. I'll be there at 2. I have to go, but have a good day." They said their goodbyes, and she shut off her phone just in time to see her best friend exit the building.

_After Kanae's Audition..._

The moment that the door closed behind Kanae, she wanted to scream. She twisted around on the ball of her foot and stomped down the hallway. If there were people in that hallway before, there wasn't any now, which Kanae was thankful for. She really didn't want to go to jail, but she was able to kill someone, anyone if they got in her way.

Kanae was so blinded by fury that she really didn't know where she was going. Something inside of her knew this was the way to get out of the building, so she didn't fight it. She stomped through the halls, her mind a white static blank as she saw the exit door and burst through it. Perhaps she thought that the fresh, open air would help, or being out of that building would free some of her rage, but it did nothing but increase it. People felt the burning waves of wrath radiating off of her and gave her a wide birth which only irritated her.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko called out, completely consumed with her own happiness to sense her best friend's current mood. Kanae looked over to that voice and narrowed her eyes. She was too far for Kyoko to notice her grim expression. Her heels cracked against the cement as she stormed over to Kyoko. Kyoko stood up to greet her friend when she finally noticed how angry she was. She frowned as Kanae got closer and opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but Kanae beat her to the punch.

"This is all your fault!" Kanae yelled at her, making Kyoko fall back into her seat in shock. Kanae loomed over her, shaking from anger. "If it wasn't for you..." Kanae started but couldn't get the words out, so she started again, "If It wasn't for these damn..." Again she couldn't say what she wanted to say. Kyoko was looking up at her confused, worried and on the verge of tears wondering what Kanae was trying to say.

"This," Kanae gestured to each of them, "this is your fault too! Everything is all your damn fault. It was never suppose to be like this. I should have been able to do it, but no! I couldn't. No matter how I thought about it, how I convinced myself that I wasn't doing anything wrong, I Couldn't Do IT!" She screamed out the last few words and then saw Kyoko crying fat silent tears.

"**DAMN IT!**" Kanae screamed out causing everyone in the area to look over at them, finding a crying girl and an angry one. Unable to handle the torrent of emotions within her, Kanae turned to leave. She was able to take one step before Kyoko grabbed her hand.

"What's wrong? Moko-san, what did I do?" Kyoko asked, crying softly. "I'm sorry. Whatever I did to make you so upset, I'm sorry. Please tell me and let me make up for it. Please Moko-san," Kyoko pleaded making Kanae's pain and therefore anger triple.

Kanae shook her head. "No," she stated and twisted her arm from Kyoko's grip. "I can't talk to you right now. I shouldn't be around you right now," she stated and walked away.

This is how Ren and Yashiro found Kyoko. She wasn't in the middle of the courtyard where Kanae left her. She had walked back to Ren's car and sat beside it, leaning against his passenger side door. Both men were eager to see her, to tell her the news of the panel's decision even if they were jumping the gun. Contracts and paperwork had to made up before they called her for the offer. They spent some time looking for her around the area, the car being one of the last places on their list to look.

"Mogami-san, what's wrong?" Ren quickly went to her side, going down on one knee. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Kyoko sniffed as she wiped her nose with a tissue. "M...mokooo-saan i..is anggryyy at meee," she cried, hiccupped once and started crying harder. Ren frowned sadly and looked up at Yashiro. Yashiro nodded sympathetically and walked away giving them a little space. Ren sat down next to her and pulled out his handkerchief allowing Kyoko's very used tissue a rest.

"I don't know what I did," she sobbed as Ren put his arm around her. "She came out, and I thought we would talk about our audition, but she yelled at me, telling me it was my fault." She hiccupped again and lightly blew her nose in the handkerchief. Kyoko leaned into Ren's embrace, resting her head on his chest. "Tsuruga-san, what happened? What did I do?"

He sighed and hugged her gently. "You got the part, Mogami-san," he whispered into her hair.

"I did?" Kyoko turned her blotchy red face up at him, and he nodded with a little smile. She looked down, staring out at nothing. "So she's mad because I got the part?" She whispered astonished and then frowned. "How did she know I got the part? How do you know I got the part?" She asked looking back up at him.

"It didn't take them very long to decide. There were only four, well three, applicants. The first one was boring so that left Kotonami-san and you," Ren told her as she quietly sat thinking. She shook her head.

"There is no way I did better than Moko-san," Kyoko looked up at him with an unbelievable look on her face. "How did she do, Tsuruga-san?"

"She did very well. They were impressed with her skills and all her answers were practically perfect," Ren explained making Kyoko nod. She expected no less of her best friend. She knew that Kanae would excel in her audition. Kyoko glanced up at Ren and she saw him struggling with something. She frowned.

"What aren't you telling me?" Kyoko asked seriously bringing a little smile on his lips. How well this person knew him, it amazed him to no end. He ran his hand through his hair with a groan.

"It was the kiss," he admitted.

"The kiss?" Kyoko asked confused. "Did she not include the kiss in her scene?" That was the only thing she could think of that could ruin her.

"No, she had a kiss, it's that..." Ren stumbled over his words, not really sure how to tell her.

"It's what?" she urged him to continue.

"It sucked, okay."

Both Ren and Kyoko looked up to the angry voice beside them. Kanae stood there with her arms crossed under her breast and huffed. "I couldn't kiss him. I couldn't do it knowing that y..."

"AH!" Kyoko burst up from the ground like lighting, interrupting Kanae from saying too much.

"Please excuse us, Tsuruga-san," she said a little nervously. Kyoko then proceeded to drag Kanae out of Ren's hearing range.

"Moko-san, you can't say that in front of..." Kyoko started as she glanced over at Ren who was now talking to Yashiro.

"Wait," Kanae interrupted, "Let me finish. I couldn't kiss him. When the moment came, all I could think about was you. I saw your face, and you telling me how much you loved him. It was like I was kissing your boyfriend."

"Tsuruga-san is not my boyfriend," Kyoko said embarrassed.

"Yeah," Kanae said rolling her eyes. "Tell me about it. There is no damn reason why I shouldn't be able to kiss him. You aren't dating him. I'm not dating anyone. I can kiss any freaking person on command but HIM!" Kanae yelled out. Kyoko flinched at her scream and wanted to calm her down.

"Maybe we can do a retake. We can ask Tsuruga-san if they would let you perform the kiss again," Kyoko offered making Kanae fling her arms in the air.

"Don't you get it?" Kanae growled. "I can't. Never. I can never ever kiss him, because I know you love him. I can't stand the thought of hurting you like that." Kanae confessed, unable to look at Kyoko from embarrassment. She was so angry, but it was never at Kyoko. She was angry at herself, at not being able to ignore her feelings and do the scene and get the part. After all her hard work and determination, something like this stopped her from getting this great part. The kiss was awful and all she felt was guilt. She knew it the moment she left the room that she didn't get the part. Even if she was able to kiss him passionately, there was no competing with two people already in love.

When Kyoko didn't say anything, Kanae turned to look at her and took a step back. "No, don't." Kyoko had this look of pure happiness on her face. Her eyes were huge like saucers, bursting at the seems with unshed tears. Her hands were clasped together like a prayer. She was positively giddy.

"Moko-san," she whined, and Kanae shook her head, taking another step back.

"I was lying," Kanae quickly stated, "I can kiss him, make out with him any day of the week. Guilt-free." She turned to make her way to Ren. "Here, I'll show you."

"You love me!" Kyoko shouted and grabbed Kanae in a huge hug. "You felt guilty and couldn't do it. You are the greatest friend. You sacrificed the part all because you couldn't kiss someone you didn't like."

Those last words stopped her cold. "Now wait a minute," Kanae turned towards her weepy friend with renewed strength. "I'll have you know that I can kiss any damn person I please."

Kyoko grinned and added, "but the guy I like."

"MO!" Kanae threw Kyoko off of her and stormed over to Ren and Yashiro. Both men watched the two girls coming towards them. Kanae still looked angry as a bull while Kyoko was all smiles and giggles. Ren smiled happy that they made up but that smile wilted as soon as he realized that Kanae was walking straight to him. He stood up from leaning against his car and watched her perplexed with her actions.

The moment Kanae was within touching distance, she grabbed Ren's jacket, forced him down to her level and kissed him. Ren was simply too shocked to stop her. Before he had a chance to push her away, Kanae threw him off and turned to Kyoko.

Kyoko laughed at the scene and shook her head. "That was awful, Moko-san."

Kanae growled loudly in frustration and turned to the second man closest to her. She grabbed Yashiro's tie and flushed her body against his. Since he was shorter, she didn't have to work as hard. Yashiro was stunned and tried to back away, leaning back over the hood of the next car over. Kanae followed him though, almost climbing on top of him as she continued her lip lock with the older manager. Soon, Yashiro stopped fighting her and embraced her and her lips. Kanae ran her hands through his hair, jogging his glasses loose as she deepened the kiss. Her leg ran up his and Yashiro's hand helped her do so, holding her thigh high on his waist along with the rest of her against his body.

Both on-lookers couldn't help but blush at the scene they were witnessing. Kyoko was beet red and was hiding behind her hands. Ren decided he should just wait in his car, not really wanting to be apart of whatever insanity was currently happening. Kanae stopped her kiss with a loud pop and started panting to catch her breath. She grinned and slid off of Yashiro on to more solid ground and looked at Kyoko waiting for her response.

"I can't compete with that," Kyoko admitted defeat.

"I doubt anyone can," Yashiro said breathlessly as he straightened out his tie and glasses.

"I think I proved my point," Kanae said smugly.

Kyoko smiled as Kanae opened the back door to Ren's car. She hopped in first and moved over to give Kyoko room to sit. "I think you actually proved mine more," Kyoko mumbled with a little laugh and entered the car.

Ren stood there with his driver door open waiting for Yashiro to get in and shook his head confused but entertained with the whole situation. He looked over at his manger who was still in a daze. His hair was messy, his glasses were a little crooked on his nose and his shirt was rumbled from Kanae's "attack".

"Are you alright? Do you need any help?" Ren asked humorously.

Yashiro coughed and shook his head. "If she kissed like that, she would have gotten the role," he stated. Ren really couldn't argue. Thankfully, Kanae didn't and now he got the chance to play Kyoko's love in a romance. This was one of the best days in his life.


	16. First of Many

Chapter 16

Such a shame that it didn't last.

Well, it lasted for Ren, but the bliss of Kyoko getting her part only lasted a single day.

Tragic Marker went well that night with Kyoko beaming with happiness until she turned Setsu on. After that her excitement was only slightly dwindled to anyone who knew her. Everyone who didn't know her wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but Ren could see the joy in her eyes the whole night. He didn't want to squash her glee and made no effort to comment on it when they were Cain and Setsu. Hell, he was pretty damn happy too.

They slept at the hotel again, getting out from the studio at 12:30 that night. The next morning, Ren took Kyoko home to change and then to school at his insistence. At 2 o'clock, Kyoko excused herself from her studies and went in search for Hikaru, eager to start telling him about how her audition went.

She didn't see him at first, but she wasn't expecting him to wait at the gate. He was a star himself and didn't want to cause any ruckus with the students. Sure enough, when she stepped through the gate, she saw him about half a block down leaning against his bike looking down thinking. Kyoko smiled and started walking towards him. The closer she got, she noticed that he was wearing ear buds and was mumbling something to himself. He was so distracted that he didn't notice her approach.

"BOO!" Kyoko yelled out as she jumped in front of him with a huge grin on her face. Hikaru jumped as expected; however, what she didn't expect was for his bike to fall over from her outburst. The moment she landed in front of him, he jumped up and back forcing his weight back and taking his bike with him.

"Hikaru! Are you alright? I'm so sorry," Kyoko yelled as he fell back landing on the side of his fallen bike.

Hikaru groaned but with a smile as he looked over at her slightly embarrassed. "Uh, yeah," he laughed as he scrambled off the bike glancing at her worried face. "I'm alright, just surprised," he gave her a smile.

"I'm so sorry," she said again, but Kyoko was hiding her smiling lips behind both her hands. She snickered softly as they both stood up.

"Well," Hikaru started looking particularly wounded, "if you want to kiss and make it better..." he paused and smiled shyly at her.

Kyoko blushed but obliged her wounded boyfriend. She stepped up to the bike, and Hikaru closed his eyes and leaned in to receive his kiss. When nothing happened he opened them to find Kyoko squatting down and pressing a small peck on the gas tank of his bike.

"Poor thing got knocked over because of your clumsy master," Kyoko teased and playfully looked up at Hikaru. She laughed at the sad pouty look on his face as she stood up and gave him a little peck on the lips.

"I'm playing with you, Hikaru," she said and then her voice went serious. "You're not really hurt, are you?"

"Na, I'm fine," he assured her with a small smile. He leaned down and lifted his bike upright and set the side stand once more. Kyoko had stepped aside, giving him room to move and allowing Hikaru to look at her completely. A small blush decorated his face looking at her in her school uniform.

"I know you're 17, but seeing you in that..." his voice drifted off while his eyes flickered back and forth to her looking sinfully cute.

"You don't like it?" Kyoko asked timidly as her fingers played with the edge of her skirt.

"Oh, it's not that. I _really_ like it actually," he said with his voice a little deeper. Kyoko couldn't help but blush, even though she didn't quite understand his tone.

"Then what is it?" She rephrased her concern.

The heat on his cheeks heightened, and he shook his head. No way could he tell her of the dark thoughts creeping through his mind seeing her like that. Trying to hide his face, he climbed onto his bike and grabbed her helmet and tried to address her concern, "I forget that there is a four year difference, that's all. You seem more adult than me sometimes." He grinned hoping that she would take that excuse. When he looked over at her, she had this painful look on her face making his blood chill.

"What? What's wrong," he asked worried and confused.

"Is four years really that bad?" Kyoko asked, her voice a quiet whisper on the verge of tears. Hikaru moved off his bike and stepped up to her. He placed his hands on her biceps and peered into her sad face. Something about her tone and demeanor, gave hint that this question was more than it seemed; however, Hikaru was no where close to figuring out such a simple question. He simply took it as it was stated.

"No," he quickly answered, "Four years is nothing. It's that you are still in high school, so.." Kyoko's breath hitched making Hikaru panic, "...not that that's a bad thing. It's great. I finished it a long time ago... okay, well a few years ago," he corrected as Kyoko was still looking down. He sighed wanting to hide in a hole. "Man, I can never be cool with you," he stated with an irritated sigh, "Look, I said that, because I didn't want to tell you how completely sexy I thought you looked in your school uniform, okay?"

Kyoko blinked and slowly looked up to a red-faced Hikaru. He was looking away with his hands stuffed in his jean pockets and completely embarrassed by his admission.

"What?" She questioned what she heard and simply mumbled that question.

"Aww, please don't make me say it again," Hikaru pleaded, his face as dark as a plum. Luckily, he didn't have to. The words were still being processed in her head and slowly each word was being recognized, and his confession was understood. A dark blush on her face soon started to rival his own and her arms instinctually started to try and hide herself.

"Oh, um... I... perhaps... I've got some... I can... change before we go?" Kyoko stumbled over her words.

"No," he abruptly said and then flustered again, "I mean, you can if you like, if you want. I mean, please don't do it because I think.. shit," he cursed silently. "Look, if you don't want to go out now, I'll understand. I mean, if you think I'm some sort of perv..."

Laughter.

Hikaru thought there couldn't be anymore blood to rush to his face, but somehow his body found a way. Kyoko was laughing, almost to the point of tears. When she was able to breath, she stepped up to him, slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him, the giggles still slipping through her lips.

"Thank you, Hikaru," she said with her head resting on his shoulder. Still humiliated by his confession, he lightly held her, careful as to where he put his hands. When she pulled away with a bright smile on her lips, he found the courage to talk.

"For thinking dirt..." he was about to ask confused.

"Ah," she quickly interrupted him, her cheeks reddening again, "No." She hesitated wondering how to tell him. "For being honest with me," she finally said and hugged him again. "You are very open with your thoughts and feelings, it's refreshing."

"And embarrassing," he added surly making her laugh again.

"And flattering," she continued with a shy smile. She looked up at him, into his chocolate brown eyes and smiled. "Thank you again, Hikaru," she whispered to him.

Hikaru looked down at her adorable cutie honey face and wanted nothing more than to ravish her, but of course didn't. He instead kissed her. His arms wrapped around her tiny frame and squeezed, forcing her soft body to press against his firm one. She whimpered out of shock which he thought was out of pleasure. This kiss was not the little peck that she was use to with him, but more. Kyoko's eyes widened, her memory of yesterday's kiss with Ren came rushing back, and she gently pulled away.

"Hikaru," she whispered bashfully as she took a step back from him.

"I'm sorry, Kyoko. I didn't mean to do that. I was..." he hesitated, "and you looked so cute. I really wanted kiss you and got carried away," he admitted bashfully.

Kyoko smirked, her face burning hot and shook her head, "It's okay, Hikaru. It was a little too fast," she timidly whispered, glancing his way.

"Right, slow, of course," he murmured. _Ah, dummy Hikaru! This is her first real relationship. _He reprimanded himself and took a few calming breaths. "We, uh, we should go. I'm starving," he quickly tried to change the subject.

He took her to a yakisoba shop and was left at their table while she changed in the bathroom. If Kyoko was offended by his confession about her school uniform, he wasn't going to tell her that things didn't change much after she changed clothes. Dark skinny jeans hugged her legs, a ginger ruffled tee flirted along her torso, and white flats covered her little feet. She was as gorgeous and tempting now than in her uniform. It's just Hikaru didn't feel like a dirty old man this way.

They ordered their late lunch, and Hikaru asked her about the audition first thing.

"I got the part!" Kyoko exclaimed immediately and then started to retract it. "Well, Tsuruga-san said I got the part, but they haven't given me the offer yet, so perhaps they could change their mind. That's possible, isn't it..." thoughts started shifting through her mind, giving her doubts. "They liked me then, but what if after a night, they decided to go with someone else," she stated alarmed by the thought, and then suddenly calmed down.

"I bet they are going to sign Moko-san. Tsuruga-san did say that she did better than me on the skit," Kyoko said with mixed emotion. Happy that her friend would get the part but sad that she didn't.

"Wait, wait," Hikaru cut in confused by everything. "So did you get the part or not? I gather that Tsuruga-san accepted the male lead? Even so, how would he know who got the female lead? What skit did you have to do? If it's improv, then as Bo, you should have been better."

"Oh, but Moko-san is really good! She's good at everything. It would only make sense that she would get the part over me. She's beautiful, talented, and has a photographic memory," Kyoko tried to explain, to make Hikaru understand.

"It sounds like you are describing yourself, Kyoko," he said with a smile. "Well, other than the photographic memory," he added then sat there thinking about it for a moment. "Does she really have a photographic memory? Does it really work the way they show on TV? One look and she remembers it for life? Is it only words or can she do pictures and memories too? How long does she need to take something in?"

Kyoko laughed and shook her head. "I don't know, but she can memorize a 200 page script in minutes."

"Wow," he said amazed, and Kyoko agreed. She then proceeded to tell him about the audition: from the four applicants to the details of the trial and then all about her part. She was so busy reliving the audition that she didn't notice how very quiet Hikaru was when she mentioned the required kiss.

"I really wish I could have seen Moko-san's audition, but I was forced to leave after mine was done. I took a little walk and waited outside until you called then I saw Moko-san exit the building. Oh, she was not happy. She felt that she lost the part the moment she left the room, but I think she was over reacting." Kyoko looked down, her brow in a furrow deep in though. "Tsuruga-san did sort of confirm her prediction though." She suddenly perked up and finally looked at Hikaru as she spoke, "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Hikaru?" She tilted her head with concern.

"Ah, yeah... wait and see," he whispered distantly.

"What's wrong? Do you think Moko-san will get the part too?" She asked with a touch of angst in her voice.

Hikaru gave her a tiny smile and shook his head. "No, you'll get the part. I'm sure of it," he tried to sound happy but failed miserably.

"Hikaru, please tell me what's wrong?" Kyoko pleaded with him.

"Was the kiss really mandatory?" he asked incredibly.

Kyoko blushed and nodded softly. "Yes, it was required that we had to provide a kiss within our skit. Hikaru, it didn't mean anything. We were acting," she reasoned.

"Yeah, but is that normal?" he asked, finding it hard to believe, "You weren't on camera. It wasn't for some climatic scene in a film. It's for an audition to a film. Couldn't they have come up with a better way to show chemistry than an actual kiss?" Hikaru was angry, and she didn't understand why. It was a simple kiss. It was an actors kiss. Actors kiss without any attachment at all; they had to!

"I... ye... n.. well," Kyoko stuttered. "I don't know! It was the requirement I was told."

"So what? You are going to do everything you are told?" He sneered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's going too far," Kyoko spoke harshly. "Are you really upset about the kiss, or is it because of who I kissed?" She asked maliciously.

"I'm upset about the kiss. Why should I be suspicious of who you kissed? Even if it is Tsuruga Ren," he griped with a nasty tone.

Kyoko groaned. "You're the same as Sho! I don't understand why everyone hates Tsuruga-san so much. He's talented, kind and a strict professional! The kiss meant nothing to him and was simply following the director's wishes. If I do get this role, Hikaru, I'm going to have to kiss him again and several times in fact. It's my job!"

"Yeah, and I'm so sure that you will hate every single one of them," Hikaru quipped. "You said it meant nothing to him, but what about you? Why does everyone hate him? It's because of this. This right here. He gives you one little look, and you fall in love with him as if he is something special because he's so tall. It's not like..."

***SLAM* **

Kyoko slapped both her hands on the table top, stopping Hikaru's words in it's tracks. She was standing up, breathing heavily with a dark aura around her.

"I'm dating you! I'm kissing you, not him!" She growled. "He is my mentor, my teacher and my friend, nothing more." She turned a dark cloud towards him where he met her dark hurt filled eyes. "If you can't handle that, if you can't deal with the fact that I am an actress and will have to act, as in pretend, Hikaru," she reinforced those words, "intimately with other men, then let's break it off here."

Before he could respond, she walked around the table and towards the door. She felt her eyes sting with the desire to cry but forced herself not to. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly as she pushed the door open.

"Kyoko!" Hikaru yelled out, but she didn't stop. She swallowed her tears. If she were truthful to herself, she was more upset that she let her emotions for another man slip through when she was being attacked.

_Meant nothing to him but what about you? _

_My mentor, my teacher and my friend, nothing more._

Why did those phrases hurt more than Hikaru accusatory tone? She knew he was jealous, but didn't understand why he was so threatened by Ren. She was nothing to Ren. Ren didn't want her like that. She is lowly a kohai, a child to him. Hikaru has nothing to fear. Nothing would ever change the way Ren felt about her.

Hikaru caught up to her quickly, wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered apologies into her ear, "I'm sorry. I was jealous. I didn't mean it. Forgive me. Please, I don't want to lose you."

All Kyoko could do was nod. Unable to speak with the pain of knowing that Ren would never see her as she did.


	17. Jealousy

Chapter 17

The part was hers. The offer came in the following Monday with more than enough money to make ends meet. Yashiro was ecstatic, of course, as was Ren though much more quietly so. Everyone was happy for her, including Kanae and Hikaru.

He was thrilled for her even if he didn't like the things she had to do for the role. However, she was correct. She was an actress, and they had to do things that they don't really feel sometimes. Hikaru knew that she didn't enjoy bullying people as Mio and Natsu, kissing Tsuruga Ren is the same thing.

Or so he kept telling himself.

He wasn't able to celebrate the news with her that day since he was scheduled for an appearance that night. Instead, she met up with her friends while the next night was scheduled for each other and the other two members of Bridge Rock congratulating her on the up and coming debut movie. The day before her first day of shooting was the last time he got to see her for more than an hour.

"When do you start?" Hikaru asked as they walked down a semi crowded street.

"8am sharp," she replied excitedly. She practically danced as she walked, and he couldn't help but smile as she spoke about the plans for tomorrow. "We will have a cast meeting first, a meet and greet of sorts, and then we will dive into shooting the film. I have the whole script memorized already." She stopped and twisted her mouth as she looked at him, "Well I have the majority of it. I will still have to reread some later parts to make sure I've got it right."

Hikaru laughed. "I doubt you need to. Though, if you need help with any of it, I would be happy to run lines with you," he offered hopefully.

"Can you act, Hikaru?" Kyoko asked curiously.

"Ah, no. Not really, but that doesn't mean I can't try," he replied making Kyoko laugh. "But I can be there to take you to your shoots. I can even give you a ride to the studio on your first day." He offered with a hopeful little smile.

Kyoko stilled as if she suddenly walked into a pool of tar. She timidly looked at Hikaru and gave him a weak little smile, "Ah, well. I've got a ride actually," she said in a hushed tone. Her eyes flickered to the ground then back up at him, "Since we are going to the same location, Tsuruga-san is going to pick me up."

"Oh," Hikaru said solemnly and then frowned as he thought more about it. "Why didn't you come ask me for a ride?"

Kyoko's eyes went wide, and she quickly shook her head with her hands held up in front of her. "No! I never asked him to give me a ride. He always offers. I try to tell him no. That he is simply too busy to waste his time to give me a ride here or there, but he insists that it's no problem. He is never late to anything and I would hate for me to be the cause of him being late, so I always worry that he is being overly kind, but..."

"Kyoko," Hikaru interrupted softly as his ears were ringing annoyingly at her ranting. "It's fine, but remember if you need anything to call me first. Okay?" She grinned up at him and sharply nodded.

She never did, but Kyoko never asked for help. Well, she did once. Though that wasn't really help and more like comfort. A soft smile spread across his lips as he remembered her coming over spontaneously. She was crying, but he was still happy. Hikaru sat on his couch looking at his phone while some random show flickered across his screen. He flipped open his phone and then snapped it closed again. His eyes glanced at the screen, a commercial for some new toy playing, and then went back to his phone. Rarely did Kyoko call him, it was always him that called her. When she did call, it was to return a message he left on her phone.

_Did she call _him_ on her own? _He thought callously.

He let out a frustrated sigh and forced himself off the couch. "Stop it, Hikaru," he grumbled to himself. Hikaru started to pace, his hand gripping his cell phone tightly in his fist. He took several deep breaths, to calm himself down. Though instead of feeling better, he simply felt unfulfilled.

Three weeks have past since that day, and the only day he saw her was on Thursdays for the show. Not to mention every time he spoke to her, all Kyoko talked about was the film, how wonderful an actor Tsuruga was and that everything was going wonderfully. Hikaru was happy that the film was going well, that she was happy but whenever she mentioned his name, his hackles raised up instinctively.

_"He's my senpai."_

Never did he think those words meant so much. It was only when Kyoko said them did they mean something. He often wondered how she spoke about him. Would she refer to him as her boyfriend with a sweet loving look? Did her voice chime like a bell when she said his name? It had to be more, better than how she refers to her senpai.

"It has to be," Hikaru murmured to himself as he stared off at nothing. He looked down at his phone again and sighed. Whenever she returned his calls, it was during her lunch break. Sometimes she would call early in the evening, but that was when his jobs were usually scheduled. Everyday he would hope that she would call, just once without his insistence but as time passed, and the time to leave crept closer, he was left wanting once again.

Thursday came around slowly. It always seemed to take forever to come by, but thankfully time was never truly that slow. This one day he had an agreement with her. He was guaranteed her time, her presence and especially her beautiful smile every Thursday. He arrived at Daruma-ya early, eagerly hopped off his bike and went through the front door into the restaurant. The place was starting to get busy, so the hostess was a little busy to notice him.

The kindly older woman smiled cheerfully at a table as she refilled their drinks and started to take up their empty dishes. She artfully piled on the bowls while talking to them, keeping her attention on whatever story they were telling her. She held the tray up over her shoulder while smiling and nodding at her guests. The Okami-san took a step back but didn't notice the chair that was carelessly left out and stumbled.

"Whoa," Hikaru came rushing over and took the tray of dirty dishes and steadied her with a hand between her shoulders blades. "Are you alright?" He asked as soon as she regained her balance.

"Ah, Hikaru-kun," Okami-san looked at the handsome young man and flushed. "How clumsy of me. Thank you very much." She started to take the tray back from him but he resisted.

"It's okay. I really don't mind helping," he assured her and carted the tray to the back. When he returned, he inquired about Kyoko, "Is she upstairs?"

"Actually," the Okami had to think about it, "I don't believe she is here yet." She turned to her husband and asked, "Did you see her come in?" The Taisho simply shook his head in response.

"Sorry, Hikaru-kun, would you like a table to wait for her? I'm sure she will be in very soon. You know how she is with being on time for things," she said with a gentle smile. Hikaru nodded. He knew all about that. It's true that she still had time. He was an hour early, and it would only take about ten minutes to get to the studio. Still, he had hoped that he would have some extra time with her. Instead...

"Thank you, Okami-san, but let me help instead," he said as he started to roll up his sleeves. "Time will go by faster if I do some work," he stated and started to clean up a table for her.

Kyoko came rushing in at twenty till. Hikaru heard her voice as she was yelling out goodbye to someone. Eager to see her, he quickly finished wiping up the table he cleaned and tossed the dirty towel in a bin behind the counter. He didn't say anything to the owners but they knew by looking at him that the girl he was waiting for finally arrived. Hikaru walked through the tables to the entrance of the private home behind the shop and appeared behind her as she was closing the door with a coy little smile on her lips.

"Welcome home," he yelled out to her making her yelp and jump around facing him.

"Hikaru!" she cried as her hand clutched her chest, "You scared me!"

He grinned and started walking up to her. "Well then that's payback. At least you didn't crash a bike like I did," he said with a smile. Kyoko giggled softly remembering that afternoon then the smile wilted slightly as she remembered the conversation at the end. Hikaru didn't notice her change in demeanor, his mind and body was eager to touch her at long last. She jumped slightly as he placed his hands at her waist and then forced herself to relax as he pulled her in closely. She smiled shyly at him as he looked lovingly into her eyes.

"I've missed you," he whispered softly to her. Kyoko's face darkened at his sentimental words. He squeezed her tightly as he nuzzled his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply. "You smell good," he murmured.

Kyoko laughed. "I've been sweating all day under the stage lights. I probably smell awful," she countered as she tried to pull away.

"Well, we don't really have time for you to take a bath. Did things not go well on set today?" Hikaru asked wondering why she was home so late.

"Ah, sort of," she said and pulled herself away. She started walking up to her room with Hikaru following behind as she spoke, "Yusuke-san, the actor who plays my fiancé," she quickly clarified, "he came in late... again," she continued exasperated. "Why no one says anything to him is beyond me. But, he came in late and while we were filming other scenes, when it came to his, he didn't know his lines!" She turned to Hikaru mid step and he was forced to look up at her face instead of her backside.

"Can you believe that?" she bellowed in outrage.

"Did he get disciplined then?" He asked. See he was listening.

"No," she yelled and continued up the stairs, "Tsuruga-san and I did another scene and then he was ready. I must admit that he didn't give us any more trouble beyond that, but still, I would be ashamed to call myself an actor if I did that."

"That why he will probably start to die off and never get any work soon. Rumors will spread about his lack of professionalism and no one will want to work with him, unless of course he fixes it. It's the same for you," Kyoko turned to him as Hikaru spoke, "your great work ethic and brilliant acting follows you around, making everyone want to work with you." A bright smile spread across her lips at his compliment.

"Just like Tsuruga-san!" she exclaimed cheerfully and started to open her door. Hikaru let out a very quiet sigh and nodded bitterly at her addition to his statement. He was about to step into her room with her when she quickly turned around.

"Um, I... I'm going to change and then we can go," Kyoko said bashfully, "okay?"

A light blush crept on his cheeks as he quickly nodded. "Oh, yeah sure. I'll wait down stairs. Sorry," he spoke rapidly, embarrassed by his almost forced entry. She smiled at him and bowed slightly as she closed the door between them.

Hikaru went down stairs and waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. _So she was late because of her co-star, not because of Tsuruga. _He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as relief filled him. Still, there was small knot in his chest, something growing more and more painful as time went on. He perked up once he heard her rushed footsteps descending the stairs.

"Ready!" Kyoko announced as she plopped down onto the floor with a bright smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said and then had a second thought. "You were here before I was. When did you get here?"

"Ah," Hikaru hesitated and then decided to answer honestly, "about 45 minutes ago."

"What?" she burst out in shock and promptly bowed down, "I'm so sorry! If I had known, I...," she stalled, "But why did you come by so early?"

"I wanted to see you. I was hoping to spent some time with you before we left but," he glanced at his watch, "we have to go now or else we will be late," he stated and turned heading for the door.

Kyoko chased after him in distress. "I'm so sorry, Hikaru. If you had called, I would have told you..."

"You mean you would have picked up the phone?" He said coldly and then regretted his snap comment. He turned to her as they reach the door. As expected, she was looking at down dejected as if she ran over a kitten.

"Hikaru, I know that I tend to miss your calls, and things have been rather..."

"Busy," Hikaru finished for her with a soft sigh, "I know." He pushed the door open and they continued to his bike as he spoke, "It's that I never get to see you, except now for work." He glanced at her finding her looking regretfully at the ground as she followed him. "While I am happy to see you and speak to you during your breaks, I want to see my girlfriend," he confessed as they finally reached his bike. He turned to her and softly took her hands in his.

"Kyoko, I know you are working from morning to night, but are you coming up on a free day or even an afternoon? I really would like to spend some time with you soon," he pleaded, looking at their joined hands.

Kyoko thought about it, and honestly couldn't find a free spot in her schedule. She looked up at him and was about to say but couldn't. Her voice was thick, and the words were latched within her throat. Finally, she nodded.

"Yes, I'll contact Yashiro-san, and I promise within the week we'll have a date," she quickly stated making him smile softly.

"You don't have to rearrange everything, all I want is for you to remember me sometimes. Call me instead of returning my calls, stop by unannounced like last time but without the tears," he teased making her laugh.

"I will. I promise," Kyoko quickly agreed.


	18. Slip Up

Chapter 18

She delivered her promise to her boyfriend. For once, it was not on a Thursday but on Sunday night. It was rather unexpected though. It seems that Ono-san, a photographer for RMandy had to reschedule a photo shoot for Ren to be sooner than expected. Yashiro-san was a master manipulator and was able to free Ren's time up for the demanding Ono-san, but it required Ren to head out of town as soon as they were done with their shoot Sunday afternoon.

Love's Rival was fine with the change since they had Sunday, but come Saturday night Tragic Marker was a little upset by it. The film was already delayed because of Cain Heel's lack of attendance at the beginning and to have him further delay the filming only aggravated Murasame further.

"If you are cancelling Sunday and Monday night's shooting, then do all the scenes for those days today instead," Murasame challenged. It was two in the morning before they were finally let go. They didn't get through everything but did get a lot accomplished. Ren was taking the late hour much better than Kyoko was, who was drifting in out and of sleep as they made their way back to the hotel.

"I told you to drink the coffee at 9. Caffeine doesn't last all night," Cain murmured to his sister as she nodded off against his shoulder again.

"Hmmm," was all Setsu could muster as an answer.

"Maybe I shouldn't make it so comfortable for you either," he teased with a sweet smile and gently nudged her away.

Setsu blinked her eyes and looked around then frowned. "Where are we?"

"About ten minutes away from the hotel. You need to stay awake so you can change and get home," Cain said softly.

"Ugh, let's just sleep at the hotel," Setsu whined and picked up Cain's arm and wrapped it around her as she spoke, "We have to be at the studio at 9 tomorrow. I want to sleep."

Ren's heart sped up as she snuggled closer to him. She picked up her legs to curl up in the backseat and was sound asleep before he relaxed his arm around her. Gazing down at the woman sleeping soundly and trying to keep himself from petting her made the ride to the hotel very short. Too short in fact. Ren could have spent his lifetime sitting in that cab with her sleeping on him. He paid the cabbie and by some miracle lifted Kyoko out of the cab without bumping her head or legs on any part of the car.

Ren was as tired as she was, yet he had more than enough strength and energy to carry her to their room. Kyoko was so small, so light and so utterly warm and soft that he never wanted to put her down. He was thankful that it was so late at night. There was no doubt in his mind that he was slipping out of character carrying her through the lobby. He set her on her bed and was able to take off her shoes, socks and jacket before falling into his bed fully clothed.

Kyoko woke up first the next morning. No matter how late she went to bed, she was programmed to get up before 7. Which was great since she didn't set an alarm for them. There was a dull ache on the right side of her scalp as she pushed herself up and blinked at the morning rays of light streaming into the window. She reached up and scratched her head finding a pin that held her wig was digging into her scalp. She stumbled out of bed and to the mirror and started removing the wig. Kyoko slowly woke up as she freed her hair.

She couldn't remember when they had arrived at the hotel room but was thankful to see that she still had her clothes on. A small smile crept on her lips knowing that Ren probably carried her up here and was kind enough to help her get comfortable but not that comfortable. _Ever the gentleman, _she thought to herself as she glanced at the softly snoring man in the next bed. She frowned finding the man completely dressed on top of the covers with an arm over his head. He took the effort of getting some of her clothing off but none of his. He even had his jacket on. That couldn't be comfortable to sleep in. Luckily, he did take off his shoes.

Shaking her head with a smile, Kyoko straightened her wig on the mannequin head and then sighed as she saw the mess they had left the previous day. Cain was naturally messy, and with the recent chaos that was their schedule, she didn't have time to clean up after him. They came in, changed and left for the shooting as soon as they were done. Now, she took the time to gather things up. She put everything away and crept back into the room for some clothes.

She turned on the water for the shower and let it warm up. She opened the mirrored door above the sink to get her contact case to relieve her eyes of these dark grey lenses. She unscrewed the top and was about to set it down when she saw another set of contacts already in the solution. She frowned at the little colored contact inside. Kyoko quickly understood that she had picked up Ren's case but what confused her was that there were a pair of dark brown contacts inside. She always knew his eyes to be a rich chocolate brown, and here they were - in his case.

_His eyes aren't brown? So then what is his real eye color? _She thought to herself as she carefully put the case back and picked up the other. The thought plagued her throughout her shower. _Perhaps grey is his real color, but why would he have brown eyes when he is himself, and his character Cain have his real eye color? They couldn't be prescription, and if they were then why color them? _Her shower was short since she was on automatic due to her recent discovery. They were going straight to the Love Rival's studio this morning, so she dressed as herself. When she opened the door, Ren was awake and taking off his jacket.

"Good morning," Ren said cheerily as he took off his socks.

"Good morning, Tsuruga-san," she greeted him back trying to meet his eyes. "Did you sleep well in all your clothes?" She asked as she walked towards him. She sat down on the edge of her bed while he chuckled.

"Yes and no," he replied with a smile. "If I had taken off my coat, it would have been better, but I simply didn't have the will to do so."

Kyoko blushed knowing where his energy went before he crashed on his bed. "Thank you for bringing me up. You could have woken me up. I'm sure I would have been fine walking to the room."

"Don't worry about it. It was my pleasure," he said with a dazzling smile momentarily blinding Kyoko and distracting her from her initial goal.

"Um, since we have time, I thought I would make breakfast for us while you take your shower. We don't have to be at the studio till 9. That is unless you want to eat out somewhere?" she offered as he probably wanted something more than a simple Japanese breakfast.

"No, that sounds wonderful," he quickly accepted making her flush slightly. She caught sight of his eyes and as Cain's grey eyes, learning nothing about the brown contacts. Kyoko twisted around in a flourish and glided into the kitchen for their modest breakfast. She heard him shuffle around the hotel room but forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. Before her skillet was even hot, the door to the bathroom door closed and water started to run. She let out a breath that she wasn't aware she was holding the moment she knew Ren wasn't in the room.

Things have been getting easier on her since they started Love's Rival. It's been almost a month of filming both films, and it seemed like time was running away with itself. Morning, noon and night, her days were spent with Ren. Talking, laughing, acting, and doing things, almost everything with him. Since she was forced to do so much with the man she loved, her body wouldn't let her stay up at night because of nerves. It forced her to go to sleep much like last night. She didn't mind though. She thought it a blessing that she could finally sleep for eight hours straight while being in the same room with Ren. She smiled to herself. _Maybe I'm getting more comfortable around him. _She thought happily. All that time spent with Japan's most desirable man, it was like a fairytale dream.

Kyoko shook her head. "If that were true, we would be dating, not simply working together," she whispered to herself. She forced herself to frown, to step back into reality but a sappy little smile kept taking over her lips as she made the food. Soon she found herself humming a nameless tune, completely oblivious to man who finished his shower.

"You look happy," Ren's smooth deep voice spoke behind her. Kyoko jumped slightly at the unexpected sound but promptly responded back.

"Do I?" she asked as she focused on cooking the meal.

"Hmm," he made a positive sound, "Did something good happen?" Ren asked curiously his voice getting closer to by the second. Kyoko started to fidget as she felt his presence approach. It wasn't that he was walking towards her that made her so nervous, it was more his little habit of walking around with his shirt undone after showers. She could picture him now, walking up to her with a small smile on his lips as he asked her about her mood. He would have his slacks on, no belt yet since he still needed to tuck in his shirt, padding around barefoot with his long sleeved dress shirt loosely hanging from his wide shoulders. She bit her lip as he wondered what color it was today. Oh did he look good in darker colors, the pale flesh in a wonderful stark contrast, enticing her to reach out and...

"Mogami-san?" he called out her name softly making her snap out of her sudden fantasy.

"Ah, no," she answered his previous question. She shook her head as she took one of the salmon fillets out of the pan and placed the other one in. Damn small pan always made cooking twice as much work. "I guess I'm just in a good mood," she said casually and then risked a glance up at him as she added, "Is there something wrong with that?" She was slightly startled to find him hovering directly behind her and was graced with a little chuckle at her daring statement. She quickly turned forward with her heart in her throat at his nearness.

"Not at all," he replied. "I was wondering if your day and a half break from me was contributing to your happy mood," he teased, but Kyoko only took in his words and not his humorous tone.

"No!" Kyoko yelled out franticly, spinning around and facing him. Ren was taken back at the sudden reaction taking a hesitant step back. "I'm not happy about that at all," she confessed and then instantly flushed at her admission. "I mean I'm not upset about it either. It's work. We have different jobs, each with their own projects and commitments, so of course we would have to be apart sometimes," she said a little sadly and then again tried to take back her comment, "But that's only natural. Though, it's funny that since we are working two films together that we see each other everyday, sometimes all day. I'm sure that you are probably eager to work without me, but that's not to say that I feel the same way. I love being with you," she said softly and then quickly added, "for work, so to say that I am happy that because you are leaving, that's not it."

Kyoko wanted to bury herself into a hole. _What in the world did I just say? _she cursed herself wondering how many times she confessed her feelings to him in that damn ramble. She only wanted to tell him that her happy mood was not because he was leaving, but how did she say that without telling him that she loved to spend so much time with him? _I should tattoo Tsuruga Ren Fangirl on my forehead. _

Ren snorted softly making Kyoko look up at his brown eyes. "I was teasing you, Mogami-san," he jested making her twist her mouth disapprovingly.

"Bully," she whispered and turned back to cooking her fillet. Soft laughter came from behind her making her pout even more. Movement caught her eye at her left. She glanced beside her to see his hand reach out, pass her and to the already cooked salmon fillet waiting to be eaten. She watched that hand break a piece off and then stilled as she felt a tickle of his breath next to her ear.

"Only to you," Ren whispered softly into her ear and again laughed softly. A shiver ran down her skin as blood rushed her face. His left hand withdrew with a piece of the salmon between his fingers. Again she was forced to watch, her eyes couldn't be torn away from his actions. He straightened up as he brought his stolen treat to his lips. She licked her lips as his fingers placed the pink flesh into his mouth and disappeared. He smiled playfully at her as he chewed, making her glare at him for several reasons: desire, annoyance, humor, even a little disappointment. Mostly because he made it seem so easy to get under her skin.

"Do you need any help?" he offered lightheartedly as he stepped away, wiping his hands on a nearby dish towel.

Kyoko had to think about that for a moment and shook her head, "Um, no," she said as she looked at her fish. "Everything is ready," she informed him as she turned off the burner. She plated her fish and reached for the rice cooker to find him already there, scooping up bowls of rice for each of them. She smiled softly to herself, not saying a single word for once, though she was tempted to stop him.

_He's a big boy, he can do things all on his very own. Stop treating him like that idiot. _Kyoko reprimanded herself as she brought the two dishes of fish over to their little table. Ren came back with the two small bowls of rice in one hand, and another slightly larger bowl in the other. She sat down and looked at the other bowl curiously. Once he set it down, she found tofu and natto for their meal. He returned to the kitchen to get the coffee, which she completely forgot about in the mist of this domestic bliss.

_Domestic bliss? What am I thinking about! _Kyoko yelled at herself as a heat rose to her face again.

"Why are you blushing?" Ren asked suddenly returning with two mugs of coffee. His observation instantaneously made her burn brighter.

"Nothing," she quickly stated, "I was just thinking of something embarrassing," she murmured and quickly picked up her served coffee so she could hide her face. Without thinking, she took a sip and was pleasantly surprised. She took the mug back and blinked into it. It was a slightly lighter color and sweet.

"You made up my coffee for me?" she said astonished.

"Yes, one creamer, four sugar. Isn't that right?" he asked a little concerned that he might have got it wrong.

"Yes, it's perfect," she said softly and took another drink. "I didn't think you would know that though," she admitted as she set the cup down.

He shrugged lightly. "You know how I take mine. I know how you take yours. It's nothing," he said nonchalantly and continued to eat his delicious meal. She watched him, a happy little smile fighting to be seen on her face. She knew that this warmth, this unadulterated happy feeling filling her from head to toe was silly. To be feeling this delighted because he knew how she took her coffee was ridiculous. Yet, she desperately wanted to call Kanae up and tell her all about it in utter glee. She could hear her response now.

_"MO! Why are you bothering me with such a stupid thing!" _

She smiled to herself as she quietly ate her meal.

"So what are you going to do with your free time?" Ren asked, breaking the silence.

"Eh?" she snapped out of her thoughts, "Oh, well. School probably, even though I'm ahead in all my studies," she answered, intentionally leaving out her other plans. Since she had tonight and tomorrow night off. She promised both days to Hikaru. Four o'clock tomorrow she had a date and then she would call him today once she knew when the day ended.

"And you? Are you ready to head out to Osaka for your shoot? Will you have anytime to site see?" she asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yes, packed and ready to go. Yashiro-san has tickets for 8:30 tonight which would mean we will get there around 10," Ren informed her.

"8:30?" she questioned confused. "The shoot today isn't going to last that long," she said and then looked at him with wide eyes. "Or is it? Do you know something I don't?"

He laughed. "No, we didn't want to chance missing the flight if filming did go over and it would allow us a little breathing room, rather than rushing from the studio to the airport," he explained.

"And you can have a healthy dinner," she added with a smile.

"Of course," he agreed with a chuckle and asked, "Where do you want to eat at?"

"Eh? Me?" She asked stunned by his question.

"Well sure. You're free right? Unless you are eager to start your vacation from me?" Again he teased, and Kyoko quickly rose to the bait, to deny that statement, but quickly stopped as she saw his grinning face.

"Haha," she said mockingly. "You're not tricking me with that again. I already have a dinner date tonight, thank you, so you can use the time to take it easy before your trip. Make sure that you..."

"Dinner... Date?" Ren asked suddenly, wanting to clarify her choice of words. The room went extremely quiet as her stupid slip up was illuminated by the very person she didn't want finding out.

_Damn, damn. Should I lie? _Kyoko glanced up at him and met serious and now closed off face. _He's shutting down. I can't lie to him, that would only make things worse. _

"Uh, yeah," she said honestly. "I have a date tonight with m..." the words caught in her throat, her heart screamed at her not to say it, to say anything else but those words.

"With Hikaru," she said softly. "He hasn't seen me in a while with the movies and all, so tonight and tomorrow night I figure..."

"Hikaru," Ren whispered softly stilling her words and grabbing her attention. She looked up at him. He was looking down at his half eaten meal thinking about something. She frowned at the heavy atmosphere and wanted to change it immediately.

"Today is going to be interesting, right? We get to shoot on site at the college, I wonder how much we will get..."

"Hikaru who?" He ignored her previous statement making her sigh. She set her chopsticks down, her appetite completely gone now.

"Ishibashi Hikaru," she told him. She smiled softly as she thought of him, "He's very sweet and funny. He's always telling me funny stories of him growing up when we go out. He's extremely active and loves trying new things. It's sort of exciting since he... 

"So he's your boyfriend?" Ren asked bluntly sending a sharp pain through her chest. Kyoko tried to take a breath but the pain only intensified. She wanted to say no, that they were only casually seeing each other but guilt racked through her and she nodded.

"Yes," she confirmed softly. More awkward silence stretched between them. She wondered what he was thinking, but his mask was up. He wasn't upset since her protective little demons didn't come out to feed. She glanced up at his face only to see him staring off at the table. There was nothing there, perhaps he was disappointed. She shouldn't be dating while so busy with work. He never dated because he was so determined, ready to give everything to his work. Yes, that must be it. Apparently there was this look of dread on her face since out of the blue, Ren laughed. She looked up at him and saw a smiling face.

"Calm down, Mogami-san," he said softly. "You act as if I'm Cain, and I'm going to go beat him up. I'm just curious as how you meet, how long you've been dating. This is your first boyfriend, right? Shouldn't you be happier?"

Kyoko let out a little snort and shook her head. _This would be easier if you were Cain. _"I know you wouldn't physically hurt anyone, Tsuruga-san," she replied with a little sad smile. _It's emotionally that I'm worried about. _ She stole another glance up at him and he was looking at her back with a friendly face. Her heart almost broke at that understanding look. _He doesn't even care that I'm dating someone. _ Her eyes started to grow wet as she wished that he was a little bit jealous. She wanted something from him, some sort of reaction.

"I meet him on Kimagura Rock," she answered frankly and then added as if it didn't matter, "I've been working there as Bo for the past year. He's been asking me out for about that long as well. Finally, I said yes and we've been dating for over a month." There the secret was out, and she waited for that gentlemen's smile but got nothing. Instead of outrage or horror that she knew his secrets that he never knew what love was, but he simply stood up with a tired smile on his lips.

"We should go, Mogami-san. We still need to pick up Yashiro-san before we head to the studio," he informed her. Kyoko couldn't move, but sat there looking up at him as if he sprouted a second head. He picked up both their plates and proceeded to the kitchen to dump their uneaten remains.

"Wait," she called out to him, "Aren't you angry? I'm Bo! I'm the one who laughed at you for not knowing what tentekomai meant, that you are in love with..." she froze as a sudden unbearable pressure just bombed her chest.

Ren looked up at her softly with a very serious look on his face. "In love?" he said quietly, "with whom?"

Kyoko licked her lips and had to look away. "I.. I don't know who," she stuttered, "That you never told me, a girl younger than you, but that you..." she stopped as she remembered that conversation.

"That I'm not allowed to love anyone," he whispered and twisted his right wrist around. She watched the movement then looked back up at him expecting that same painful expression on his face. Sorrow replaced that look of pain. She opened her mouth, took a breath and wanted to ask, to ask the dozen of questions she had unresolved but he shook his head.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Mogami-san. I was too late, and she found someone else," he whispered forlornly. Kyoko didn't know what to say, what to do. She watched him look down with heartbreak evident in his eyes and wanted to cheer him up, to say that there was better for him out there. She wanted his heart, wanted the best for him, to help in through this but couldn't. It seemed that the hurt of his first love being with someone else was still very fresh for him, to confess her love after telling him she was dating someone else was the absolute worst. Not to mention she didn't have the courage before she remembered about that other woman.

_You knew he loved someone else. There was always someone else, and you still fell in love with him. _With this, Kyoko was determined more than ever to keep her love to herself. She had done the right thing and her resolve strengthened ten fold.

"As for Bo," he started up again, "I'm sort of relieved it was someone I know. That I told those things to someone I can trust." Ren smiled softly down at her making her heart warm but heavy.


	19. First Kiss

Chapter 19

The ride to the college was long. Both were lost in their own thoughts and neither wanted to mention the conversation they had at the hotel. Kyoko was tormented with the renewed fact that he loved someone else. An unrequited love that ended with heartbreak for him. While Ren was actually thinking the exact same thing, the woman he loved was with someone else. They were going on a date tonight and again tomorrow night. They've been dating each other without his knowledge for over a month. Talking, laughing, hugging... even kissing, for he knew if he was dating her, he couldn't stand the thought of not kissing her every chance he got.

Thankfully, the moment that Yashiro-san entered the car, they both plastered their friendly professional characters and livened up the intense atmosphere. As planned they were going to do some outdoor scenes, things that required the whole college to be seen rather than a room or a hallway. The moment they arrived both Ren and Kyoko quickly left to their respective dressing rooms. Eager to be out of each other presence, to sort out their chaotic thoughts on their own.

Unfortunately, they were staring in the same film together, so they only had a brief moment solitude. Kyoko came out first, fashionably dressed and ready to challenge the world as Aika. Ren took a little longer, as he had to dress down for once. Messy unkempt hair with simple glasses, rumbled clothes that hung off his tall muscular body to try and make him look scrawny. Kyoko laughed the first time she saw him. Never did she think he could pull off mousy and disheveled, then to actually have him do the low profile that Kenta required, but of course he did it well. When they filmed the first class room scene, none of the other extras noticed him. THE Tsuruga Ren was no where to be found and they wondered why the director would proceed with the scene when the star wasn't there. When it was time to say Ren's part, they had to do it again as the collective gasp ruined the scene. They all turned to him as if he just appeared there. *Poof* Like magic.

Kyoko didn't get it. She still thought he was devastatingly handsome in those sloppy clothes. His hair was cute, often reminding her of how it looked when he woke up as Cain. His glasses were small and helped draw your eyes to his, beautiful brown eyes looked back at you clearly. Ren looked more serious and yet more approachable, more human to Kyoko. His good looks were toned down, and she found playing the confident Aika easier without Tsuruga Ren's overpowering aura on set.

The scenes to be filmed today was rather random. They started with the start of the film when she didn't know him, was carrying on her overly popular life with all of her friends. There was only two scenes with her fiancé, since he didn't go to her school, Yusuke-san was only there for an hour before he had to leave for another job. Then they had to do the hateful scenes, where she was supposed to despise Kenta for taking her number one spot so easily and of course the awkward ones where she tried to ignore him because of her family Finally, they shot all the scenes in which they walked together hand in hand, ate lunch together and talked and laughed, showing everyone what a happy couple they were. Each scene was relatively short, a simple walk from one building to the next, leaving a building and meeting up between classes, a short conversation on a bench under a tree or at a table while taking nibbles of food.

It still took a few hours to do everything. They had to move to about ten different locations across the campus and set things up, block things off, or do retakes so that the college students around them didn't mess up the scene. It was a little after one in the afternoon, when they called out lunch.

"One hour break!" Director Suzuki yelled out, "Everyone is to meet at the library for the next set of scenes. Enjoy your lunch." Kyoko froze at her spot as everyone around her was eager to start eating.

_Library?_

She quickly ran up to the director as he was taking his leave for his meal. "Excuse me, Director Suzuki," Kyoko called to him.

"Yes, Kyoko-san?" he responded back curiously.

"You said to meet at the library? We are doing the library scenes today? Here?" She asked as calmly as she could.

"Yes, we can't set up the whole library at a stage. With all those shelves and books, it would be easier to simply do those scenes at an actual library. The college was willing to lend it to us since it's the start of the semester," Suzuki explained and a look of concern filled him. "Why? Can you do the scenes? Do you not have your lines memorized?"

"Yes!" Kyoko quickly answered, "there is no problem. I wanted to make sure I heard you correctly. I thought we were going to do the outdoor scenes only. No, I'm fine. Don't worry one little bit. Have a nice lunch, and I'll see you in an hour," she rambled with a big smile on her face as she slowly backed away. She turned away from him and her face fell in dread.

_The library scenes. No, that... Oh God..._ Kyoko wanted to cry out or run away. The library is where Aika and Kenta share their first kiss. She knew it was going to happen soon, the scenes for the film were starting to dwindle down to the more intimate ones, but she thought for sure she would have more than an hour to cope with it. During lunch, Kyoko took her little bento, retreated to a little corner and pulled out her script.

They had four scenes in the library. Only one of them didn't have Kenta in it. The other three she was all alone with Ren. Her heart started racing as she read over the scenes, and she suddenly jumped for joy.

"NIGHT TIME!" She yelled out to no one. The scene was for night time. It was mid afternoon! There was no way they were going to film the kiss scene today. She was saved!

Kyoko returned to the new location with a happy grin on her face. She joined the group of actresses that played her closest friends and her study group and started talking animatedly to them.

"It looks like Kyoko-chan is excited about the scene," Yashiro said smugly. Ren looked over to his optimistic manager and wanted to burst his little bubble.

"She's dating someone," he told him bluntly. That little statement made absolutely no sense to the bespectacled manager. It was so out of left field that it didn't even register.

"I'm sorry, but who is dating who?" he asked for verification.

"Mogami-san is dating Ishibashi Hikaru," he informed him as he watched Kyoko and her co-stars start the first scene. He lowered his voice while the scene progressed, "He's 21 years old, older than me by a few months, LME talent division and one-third of the Bridge Rock group that hosts Yappa Kimagura Rock, where she plays the mascot, Bo. He's apparently been asking her out since they met, and she finally said yes some time between the Dark Moon party and the start of this film. No bad press at all about him, nothing about past girlfriends or trouble with the law. He's good looking, "sweet, and funny"." He quoted her words.

Ren looked up at his stunned manager and added softly, "She's happy, Yukihito."

Yashiro blinked down at the man completely flabbergasted. His mouth opened and closed, wordless sounds escaped his lips as he tried to form a coherent thought. Then he started to sputter random words and phrases, "But when... How the hell... Why would she... Who... wait, she can't... because you," he paused then and looked down at his client and friend.

"What about you?" he asked with concern.

"What about me?" Ren replied indifferently as if his feelings didn't matter.

Yashiro was infuriated. "**Tell her!**" He growled through clenched teeth.

"Tell her what?" Ren said angrily. He turned a dark glare at his manager and whispered harshly to him, "Tell her something that is only going to cause her distress. Tell her things that she would only feel guilty for. Tell her something that would only drive her further way from me because she can't return the same feelings I have. Feelings she has for another man, Yukihito. Someone that is not me," he snapped out the last words, quickly shutting the older man up.

Yashiro watched Ren close up, shifting in his seat to focus on the scene playing before him rather than continue with this discussion. A slight tremble was noticeable from the younger man, though it was quickly gone, Yashiro knew better than to bring the topic back up. Still he couldn't believe what he heard. Kyoko was dating again, dating someone that wasn't Ren. He always wondered how Kyoko got referred to this part. Now that explains it, Lory must have found out she was dating Ishibashi.

"Tsuruga-san, you're up," Director Suzuki called out to him. Ren simply stood up and started heading over. Kyoko was already alone and standing in front of a the book case for their first scene.

**Aika twisted her head to the side trying to read all the different titles of the case books in front of her. She was looking for a certain case on embezzlement, one that she remembered was pretty close to the mock case she was defending. **

**"It has to be..." she mumbled to herself as she started to look through the higher shelves. Aika took a step back, tilting her head up trying to read the text. **

**"Ah!" She exclaimed as she found what she hoped was the right book. It was the right year and the correct court so it had to be it. The only problem was it was on the second highest shelf of the case. She bit her lip as she looked around. There was no ladder, no foot step, not a soul around to help her. She sighed and looked up at the book again. Licking her lips, she slipped off her high heels that did nothing for her current problem and timidly set her right foot on the edge of the first shelf. She could do this. The shelf weight a few thousand kilos, her dainty self wouldn't break anything. **

**The problem with most colleges was that they had to keep so much material on different things that their shelves had to reach the ceiling to keep it all. **

**"Why did this have to be such an old case," she whined as she stepped off the floor, placing her left foot on the second shelf. All cases held in the past ten years were on the computer, but no, this one was done over twenty years ago. She stretched her body out as far as it would go, her fingertips barely touching the book she wanted. **

**"Just a little bit..." she whispered as her right foot left the first shelf and her left started to shake at the very small space she was using to support herself. **

**Kenta was actually in the aisle in front of her, researching his side of the case. While Aika was defender, he was prosecutor for this mock case. They were the two top students of their class, and the top students were the privileged ones to actually act out the case. Everyone else played the jury or simply sat in on the act. Since they were both there for business law, it was an embezzlement case. **

**Movement from between the books caught his eye, where he recognized his opponent searching through the books in front of him. He cast his eyes down, going back to the open book in hand and tried to ignored her; however, she had this little habit of talking to herself. Kenta couldn't help but look at her through the musty old books. He would be lying to himself if he said she wasn't beautiful. Intelligent gold eyes surrounded by thick black lashes, a small graceful nose and then those red pouty lips. Lips that always seemed to have a smile on them, as if she didn't have a care in the world. **

**Her soft murmurs reached his ears as she spoke about finding a book, and he jumped at the sudden sound of her finding it. He closed his book, completely unable to concentrate and started walking out of the aisle. Kenta had to go past her towards the check out desk. When he did, he couldn't help but look at her. He snapped up alert as he caught her trying to climb up the damn book shelf. He dropped his book as she started to shake from the effort of holding herself up and almost ran to her. **

**"Come here," she said with strain as her fingers tried to get a grip on the thick spine. Aika started to feel herself slip and tried to readjust herself, holding on to the fifth shelf with her hands to help ease the stress on her left foot, but the shelving unit defeated her and she fell. **

**"Aa...oof!" She landed not on the floor but got the breath knocked out of her as a very strong arm wrapped around her stomach and gravity forced her weight all at that one point. She was immediately set down by the stranger as she refilled her lungs. A moment later, the book she wanted was held out to her, and she smiled happy for the help. **

**"Thank..." she took the book and turned around with a little blush for being so clumsy and noticed who it was, "You!" she snapped angrily. "What are you doing here?" she glared at him. "Are you spying on your competition?" **

**Kenta rolled his eyes. "I was saving you from yourself," he stated in an obvious voice and then added spitefully, "and I don't need to spy on my opposition." He didn't want to argue with her, so he started walking away since she was safe now. However, that didn't mean that she didn't like to argue with him. After putting her heels back on, she chased after him.**

**Aika growled at him, "What is that supposed to mean? I'll have you know that I've got this case in the bag. You've got nothing on my client!" He made it half way to the desk when he whipped around back at her. **

**"Did you even read the case? All the evidence is pointed at the vice president. It's a simple case," he argued with her, fired up by her spirit. **

**"It's all circumstantial. Nothing in the case can't be explained away, you've got nothing," she countered with a little smirk. **

**"Are you serious? The Takanashi Corporation doesn't exist! He created a false vender account to steal the money. It's even in his wife's maiden name!" **

**"He was framed!" she yelled out to him and poked him in the chest with the corner of her book. "There is nothing tying him to the fake company. Every single transaction in his bank account is legit," she stated, each time poking him roughly on the chest. He snatched the book out of her hand fed up with getting beaten by that pointy corner. **

**"Hey!" She cried and tried to grab the book again. **

**"Stop poking me, and a good embezzler would know how to hide his tracks. No one, not even the President, has that much money in his accounts. Where did he get the money from?" Kenta challenged and for once Aika didn't have anything to say. **

**"The amounts aren't the same," she snapped at him and swiped her book back. "His wife is an artist. Those stupid paintings can sell for an extremely ridiculous amount of money."**

**Kenta sighed. "Okay, now I know you are reaching," he said defeated and turned around again. He used his long stride to get ahead of the relentless girl as she tried to counter him once again. He placed his book on the counter, and a few seconds later, hers slammed beside his. **

**"The transactions aren't the same," she started again, "if he was embezzling the money why would there still be 125 million yen in the account? Why wouldn't he have put it in some secret off shore account the moment rumors started about the false company?" **

**"It would be more suspicious if the account was empty," Kenta said getting sucked into the conversation again. By this time, the student behind the counter had already check out both books to them. Kenta nodded in thanks to him and collected his book. **

**"Ah, but why that much?" Aika asked as she grabbed her book and rushed to follow Kenta. "If all the accounts were accurate, that would mean he only stole about 25 million yen. Why would anyone go through all this hassle for only an eighth of what was there? If it was reversed, it would be better. Who in their right mind would let all that money go after all their effort?"**

**Kenta stopped as doubt started to creep into his mind. Aika stood there patently at the front door of the library and a slow grin started to form on her lips. "See, I'll prove my client innocent. Don't be so confident, Kenta-kun," she said arrogantly, hoping to insult him with her informal address, but it actually made him blush. Not that she saw this. His face was hidden by all his messy hair and he quickly pushed the door to leave the library. Since she won that battle, didn't deem it necessary to follow him. **

"And cut!" Suzuki shouted. Ren re-entered the building to find Kyoko smiling brightly up at him.

"You timed that perfectly, Tsuruga-san," she told him, and he looked at her questioning. She smiled timidly, "When you caught me from the book case. I was a little worried that I was going to fall too soon. I was really straining to keep myself up. I actually did fall when you caught me."

"Oh, I'm glad it worked out then," he replied coolly and walked towards the director, leaving her behind. Kyoko frowned, watching him go. It wasn't his words that seemed so wrong, but his tone. It reminded her of when they first met, that cool distant voice that was polite but rude at the same time. She hadn't heard that voice in such a long time; it stunned her.

"Alright, let's do the phone call," Suzuki called out. Kyoko nodded and took a deep breath. This was a serious scene, one of the few, but what made this difficult was that they were supposed to be a couple by now. Kyoko timidly stepped up to table where Kenta and Aika would be studying together when she gets the call from her father. She pulled out the seat next to Ren while watching him carefully. He didn't look up at her, didn't give her that encouraging little smile she was use to when they were about to do a scene together. He simply sat there as she sat beside him without any acknowledgement what so ever.

_He hates me, again._ She said to herself sadly. _He went right passed anger and straight to a distant hatred._ Kyoko glanced up at his icy demeanor and let out a soft little sigh.

"Everyone ready," Suzuki yelled out rhetorically.

Kyoko took a deep breath and shook herself, trying to get out of her grief and into character again. She shut her eyes and thought of nothing but Aika. Her strength, her quick wit and her determination and then warmth captured her hand. She opened her eyes and looked down at her – no their hands. Kyoko snapped her eyes up at Ren and found him to be in character already. _Kenta, of course, it's Kenta and not Ren. _

**It was the week before finals, and everyone was scrambling to get everything memorized. Kenta and Aika sat alone surrounded by piles of open books and notes from their class. She scribbled something down from the book in front of her and then flipped the page and then another, followed by several more. She pressed her lips together in frustration and looked at another book. **

**"Where the hell..." she mumbled to herself causing Kenta to look at her with a little smile on his lips. She stood up from her seat and leaned over the table to grab a book on the other side. **

**"No," she whispered again and reached for another book. "No," another mumble. **

**"What are you looking for?" Kenta finally asked. **

**"The International Business Law book by Dr. Tanaka Shiro," she answered him without stopping her search. Kenta looked around for a moment then smiled. She was almost lying on the table when he gently tapped her side. Aika turned back at him curious and saw him trying to reach under her. She backed up and watched him as he pulled the book that she was using to prop her first book with. He held it up and sure enough it was the one she wanted. Aika groaned as she plopped back in her seat with him laughing softly. **

**"Getting tired?" he teased making her shoot a glare at him.**

**"No, I'm fine, but it's difficult to study with all your stuff in the way," she said defiantly. **

**"You're the one who asked me to come study with you," he replied seriously as he returned to his own notes. She watched him diligently work and a little smile crept across her lips. Aika leaned forward and touched his arm bringing his attention back to her. Her fingers caressed down his bicep, over his forearm and cupped the hand holding his pencil. **

**"I wanted you close," she cooed at him as she leaned against his shoulder. Her fingers ran lightly over his and then sensually ran up his pencil as he watched. "We don't get to spend much time together anymore. I miss you," she whispered softly to him. **

**He tore his eyes away from her teasing fingers to her face and licked his lips. Kenta leaned forward, tilting his head slightly to the side. Aika genuinely smiled ready to kiss her very conservative boyfriend in broad daylight and leaned in to meet him halfway. His heated breath caressed her face as she puckered up. **

**"You just want to distract me, so you can get first," he whispered to her and pulled away. **

**Aika blinked and then huffed in annoyance. "That's not true. I was hoping to get a few of your secrets, so I can get first!" **

**Kenta laughed. "What's the difference?" **

**"The difference is that I know I can't get any affection from you in public. Why bother trying to seduce you," she grumbled to herself as she leaned back roughly in her chair, crossing her arms under her breasts. **

**"Aika-chan," he muttered, "It's that," he stopped as his eyes flickered to all the people in the area, "it's embarrassing," he admitted with the lightest of blushes on **

**his cheeks. Aika laughed softly and smiled sweetly at him. **

**"Is that what you were thinking when you first kissed me?" she teased with a knowing smile. Kenta blushed went darker as he thought about that night but stayed quiet about the incident.**

**"One little kiss, Kenta, please?" she pleaded softly. Kenta looked at her through the long strands of his hair. She was looking at him with big gold hopeful eyes as if begging for a piece of candy rather than a kiss. He snorted softly and shook his head. Aika pouted but didn't want to push him. He kissed her lots in private, passionately as well. She really didn't need anything in front of the eyes of her classmates. **

**"Aika," he softly spoke her name making her turn her face back at him. Her heart started speeding up at that dark look in his eyes, and she smiled brightly. Kenta leaned in as did she, anticipation of the delicious touch making her close her eyes. She felt his fingers at her cheek, and then nothing. **

**"Aika-chan, your phone is ringing," he stated as he pulled away. Aika groaned and slapped her hand on her purse. She dug out her phone and looked at the caller ID and then straightened up in her seat. The aura around her became dense, darker. Kenta turned to her with concern and looked at her phone. It was her father. **

**"Excuse me," she whispered softly to him and twisted away from him. **

**"Hi Daddy," she said trying to sound upbeat. Kenta tried to go back to his books, to ignore her conversation. **

**"I'm at school right now," she said into her phone and shook her head. **

**"No, I'm not doing this for boys. I'm second in my class!" she defended herself. **

**"I know you said first, but I'm second out of 500 students. That's nothing to be upset about," she tried to reason with him. Kenta couldn't concentrate, **Ren couldn't concentrate. That small mousey voice talking to her father so reminded him of that crying Kyoko at the stream. He looked at her small frame hovering and trembling lightly over her phone as she tried to defend herself.

**"No!" Aika yelled into her phone. "I'm not marrying him." She straightened up trying to summon up her courage against her father. She was quiet for a moment and then she timidly turned around and glanced at Kenta. **

**"I don't know, Daddy. We only started dating recently," she said softly. Kenta felt a shiver run down his back as the topic of conversation turned to him. **

**"Yes, I know what his family does for a living," she replied. Silence and then she snapped, "He is none of your concern!" She stayed quiet as she listened to her father probably insult and curse Kenta's tiny family bakery. He didn't really care what her father said. It was successful and did well for his family. It was her reactions to her father's words that bothered him. The more she heard, the angrier she got. He reached out to hold her, to give her some sort of comfort against someone she's fought all her life. **

**"FINE! I WILL!" Aika screamed into the phone and slammed her fist onto the table. Kenta jumped at her sudden outburst, stopping him from touching her. **

**"We'll see you at the party," she yelled again and then promptly shut her phone. Her shoulders shook with rage and Kenta gingerly placed his hands high on her bicep. The moment he touched her, Aika slumped down as the adrenaline washed away from his quiet comfort. She placed a hand over his and turned around giving him a weak little smile. **

**She licked her lips and started to act nervous. "Um, Kenta," she said cutely, "Would you like to be my escort to a party on Saturday night?" Aika asked with a little cringe knowing the look her current beau would give. Kenta simply sighed. **

"Cut! That was great!" Suzuki yelled out with a huge smile, and then ordered, "Tape up the windows for the last scene."

Kyoko perked up in concern as the stage hands started leaving the building and placing green screen on the outside of the windows.

"Kyoko-chan!" A woman called out to her as she was still sitting at the table. Kyoko looked behind her searching out the person who had called her. Konomi Miho was waving at her franticly trying to get her attention. Kyoko jumped out of her seat and almost ran to her make-up artist. She had to change to a different outfit, new make-up and get her hair styled a completely different way for the next scene. She didn't have time to sit and panic over it!

"I'm so sorry, Konomi-san," Kyoko apologized with her frame doubled over. Konomi simply laughed.

"It's fine, Kyoko-chan. I would be a little stunned knowing I was about to get into a heavy lip lock with Tsuruga Ren too," she said with a little envy in her voice. Kyoko laughed nervously at the comment and waved it off.

Kyoko didn't know how to feel about the next scene. She thought she was safe, since it wasn't night that they wouldn't be able to do it. _Stupid advanced technology! _They could simply edit the film to make it night time. The time of the day didn't have any effect what so ever to the scene and rather than waste money booking the college library again on another day, it's best to do it now. She knew this, deep down inside she knew she would have to do the scene today. Before today, Kyoko was actually excited about it, but now...

No, truthfully, she was still excited about it. Konomi was right. She was eager and excited and the mere thought of being in his arms, kissing him passionately made her whole body shake in anticipation. They pinned up her hair in a messy fold, strands of it falling all around her making it look like she simply wanted it out of the way while she studied. High heeled sandals, skinny jeans and a loose off the shoulder tee, crimped with a wide belt made up her outfit.

Ren was there first, since all he needed to do was change his clothes. They were still sloppy and loose fitting. He stood near Yashiro waiting patiently sipping a bottle of water. She wanted to walk up to him, to talk to them like she normally would but the residual side effects of his cold attitude from before made her stay away. The crew was still setting up the night time scene, leaving Kyoko standing idly by alone.

"She looks so lonely," Yashiro said sadly. Ren was actually thinking the exact same thing when his manager spoke his thoughts out loud, but he didn't want to admit that he was watching her from his dark corner.

"Does she?" he said casually and made an obvious motion to look right at her. "It seems she is fine." Ren gestured to her. Kyoko had pulled out her phone and was currently texting someone with a bright dopey smile on her face. "She's probably chatting with her boyfriend as we speak," he grumbled.

**So you're not busy? **Kyoko typed out quickly and sent her little text.

**I should be decorating this hall for the president. **Kanae replied back. Of course it was Kanae. Who else could make her so giddy in such a short amount of time. Kyoko frowned slightly, knowing that she was disturbing Kanae from her LoveMe assignment.

**Okay, I'll let you go then. I'll call you later, okay? **Perhaps she could call Kanae before her date with Hikaru started.

**MO! Just tell me! What did you do? **Kanae barked back. Kyoko could feel the bite of it even through the text. She summarized her blunder as quickly and best as she could. The first text was completely jumbled talking about kissing and hatred. The moment Kanae read it she thought Fuwa Sho had come by again. Kanae was in fact decorating a hall that was to host the next overly elaborate party President Lory was throwing. She's been at it with Chiori since 8 this morning, and they weren't even half way done.

It took about 4 maxed out texts to finish everything that had happened between her and her beloved senpai. After rereading everything three times, she sighed. This girl always made things more difficult for herself. Every single time they spoke, more and more evidence that Tsuruga Ren was in love with her piled up. Yet no matter how high that mountain continued to grow, it grew behind her, and she refused to turn around.

"Kyoko-chan," Director Suzuki called out to her before Kanae could respond to her dilemma. She looked at her phone hoping for a single word from her best friend, but found nothing. Kyoko sighed and slipped her phone into her pocket. _Once I'm in character, everything will be fine. _She told herself and took her position. This was the only night time library scene there was, so this was done last. After this the shooting will be done for the day.

"How you doing, Kyoko-chan? Are you ready?" Suzuki asked out of the blue making Kyoko look up at him puzzled.

"Y...yes, Director. I'm fine. Why?"

He frowned and leaned forward to whisper, "You look pale. Are you feeling sick or anything?"

Kyoko's hand jumped to her face in shock. "I do?" She asked and started lightly slapping her face. "I'm sorry. I'm fine. Really. I'm good!" She assured him and got into her position. As she did so, a buzzing erupted from her pocket. Everyone was still clearing out of the area, giving Kyoko time to read Kanae's reply.

**It sounds like he is feeling hurt more than angry. Give him some time to coop with all you said, and he will talk to you like normal again soon. **

Kyoko smiled happily at the message and put her phone away. _He's not angry, just hurt. Hurt that I lied to him, kept things from him. _She looked up, found Ren in the crowd and smiled at him.

**Aika sat in the middle of one of the long tables in the library. She has been there for hours trying to study for their midterms. The sun had set and the night took over letting her know how long she has been there. She set her head down, letting her eyes rest for a moment. Aika must have fallen asleep since she was jarred awake at the sound of a chair was pulled back from the table. She looked up and around with burning eyes and found the culprit. **

**Nakashima Kenta. Aika glared at him as he sat down at the end of the table. Everything was fine until he showed up. She started jerking her books and notes closer to her as if he was going to copy all her hard work. **

**"Stupid freaking tall jerk," she grumbled, stealing glances at him. "Comes out of no where and takes my spot and dressed in those ugly chalk covered clothes," she continues and reaches for her large cup of coffee. She put it to her lips and found the cup was long empty and cursed again. No matter. With the arrival of her top opponent, she was renewed with energy. **

**And rage. **

**The nerve of this man coming in to pretend to study as if he needed it. She has never seen him in here until now. He didn't belong to a study group, never seemed to ask any questions to the professors during class, or come to any of the lectures from special guests. He simply got everything right, got perfect scores in all his tests and assignments, he was too damn perfect. She looked at the clock and scowled. It was almost 11 at night. No one was in the library but a scarce few. **

**"Jerk probably saw me and came to laugh at me," she griped as she tried to ignore him. Whether Kenta heard her grumbling or felt the animosity being thrown at him, he didn't make a motion or comment about it. He sat there with his notebook and a single book open. She looked at her mess and snapped. **

**She stood up, letting the chair screech loudly across the hard wood floor. Normally she would tip toe as she walked in the library, but this time, she let the heel of her shoe crack loudly on the floor. Aika saw him look up at her through his mop he called his hair and ignore her, even though it was completely obvious she was walking to him. This only aggravated her further. Once she was within reach, she ripped his notebook from him and threw it onto the floor. **

**"What are you doing here?" she growled at him. Kenta sat straight up with his arms open wondering what just happened. **

**"I _was_ studying, until someone rudely came up and decided to throw my notes away," he said annoyed. **

**"HA!" she said sarcastically, "You came in here to mock me. To show off that you don't need to study into the night to take my number one spot!" Aika crossed her arms as she continued her assault, "I know for a fact that you never come in here, because I'M always in here. You even go as far to look like you are busy." She picked at the corner of his sleeve. "Where did you even get white chalk? Does anyone even use that anymore?" She suddenly laughed. "Oh, I know. You went to Dr. Minekura class right?"**

**"It's flour, not chalk," Kenta cut Aika off. She looked at his clothes, baffled by his statement. Before she could ask, he continued to refute every thing she said, "You don't see me in here because I'm _working,_" he turned angry vexed eyes up at her. "Of course, that is something you don't need to worry about, do you?" He said snidely. "The only time I can come in is now, when you are no doubt partying with all your silly friends." **

**"How dare you!" She ruffled. "You have no idea how hard I work, how much I study, the things I've scarified to get where I am." He suddenly stood up making a loud noise as his chair fell to the ground. **

**"Don't think you are the only one!" He yelled at her. He turned to her. His height making her take a tentative step back in intimidation. "I'm here on a scholarship, not on daddy's money. If I slip up, I'm out. No second chances, that's it. It's over. You can graduate on a C-average. I'm not so fortunate." Aika stood before him stunned with wide eyes. Thinking he proved his point, Kenta bent down picked up his notebook and the chair and started shoving everything back into his old backpack. **

**Aika was shaking with rage, her hands curled up into fists. "As if I would be so careless as to try and graduated with a C-average. Even if I had Daddy's support, I wouldn't do that. Don't assume you know me!" **

**"But you know me perfectly well, don't you?" Kenta snapped back at her. He turned towards her in a fury. Their faces were a hair breath away and neither was backing down. The anger rushing through their veins quickly turned into passion as the distance between them vanished in an instant. **

**Neither knew which moved first. Both were breathing heavily, both equally pissed off with each others ignorance. Then their lips crashed against one another. Aika fell back as Kenta lifted her onto the table. They hungrily fed from each other, teeth nipping at their lips, hands running up and down their bodies. Aika's hands slipped under his loose shirt, her fingers reveling at the feel of the hard muscle hidden underneath. Kenta's large hands glided down the sides of her body, rounded her ass and down her thigh as it wrapped around his waist. **

**Kenta groaned as her nails raked down his back and her legs squeezed him, trying to bring him closer to her. His lips broke the kiss and slid down to her neck. A primal urge, desire and instinct took over as he licked and sucked at her neck, taking her flesh into his mouth. Aika arched her back loving the feel of him on her body. Her eager compliance drove him mad with longing, and he thrust his arousal against her making her moan loudly in his ear. Something fell to the floor snapping them out of their attraction. Kenta pulled back looking at the woman beneath him. She was flushed, breathing heavily with heavy lidded eyes and wet pouting lips. The ecstasy plainly displayed on this fiery woman's face only made him want her more. **

**Soft laughter and whispers reached their ears and both twisted their necks to see a few of their classmates looking at their direction. Completely embarrassed, Aika shoved Kenta's shoulder and scrambled to get off the table. He let her go of course and watched as she ran to her still scattered items at the middle of the table. She gathered everything of hers into her arms, not bothering to try and put them in her bag, and ran out of the library. **

"CUT!" Suzuki yelled out but Kyoko didn't return right away. Everyone was given a little break while the director watched the recorded scenes. Only when he satisfied would he let everyone go.

Ren took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. His body was humming with lust from the scene. He straightened up and felt weak. All he could think about was lying back down with her and finishing what they started. He forced himself to walk, to get out of the area, so he could sit down again. As expected the only person who knew there was something wrong was Yashiro. He held out a fresh ice cold bottle of water to him, even though he didn't finish the last one.

"I'm sorry, I don't have anything stronger," Yashiro mumbled with a little smirk. Ren didn't even reply, instead he drank it, hoping that the cold drink would settle his blood.

"We should go to make-up so you can clean up," Yashiro mentioned causally. Ren could tell he was holding back, but it was like holding back water with your fingers. Drops and squirts keep seeping through. His tone, little smirks and the look in his eyes told Ren volumes of what he wanted to say. He wasn't sure if he was thankful or not that Yashiro hasn't broken down yet.

He walked to the little vanity and peered down at the mirror. Lipstick was smeared across his lips. Her face was probably the same, though he didn't even notice. All he saw was her desire and couldn't think past that. He grabbed a little box of wipes the artist had there and yanked one out to clean up. Now that Yashiro had him pinned in a relatively private area, he let loose.

"Care to tell me what happened?" he said carefully but with a knowing smile.

Ren bit back a sigh. "With what?" He tried to throw a hint at the man, _please drop it. _

"Ren." That's all he said and that was all he needed to say. He huffed out a breath and stood up as he tossed the rouged stained tissue. He was clean now, all evidence of their kiss gone except his memory.

"I really don't think I need to tell you what happened. You already know. At least no one but you seemed to care though," he said somewhat relieved.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Kyoko-chan is going to care and her new boyfriend once they see that hickey you put on her neck," Yashiro said making Ren stop breathing.

"I what?" he asked stunned.

"Yeah," Yashiro nodded sympathetically. "She ran by, and I saw a darkening red mark on the right side of her neck. I think the news of her new beau caused you to make a claim on her. Marking her as yours, how very barbaric of you, Ren. I didn't know you had it in you," Yashiro jested, his calm temperament losing to what was inside him.

"Spare me, Yukihito," he bemoaned and looked around. "Where is she?"

Yashiro looked around and couldn't find her. "She must still be outside. I'll get her," he offered.

"Yashiro, behave," Ren threatened making Yashiro smile nefariously. Ren shook his head and wondered if anyone had any aspirin.

Kyoko hid behind the wall next to the door. Her arms still clung to everything, pressing it against her heart as if it was about to escape should she let go. Her face was still flushed, the heat from the kiss felt as if steam was coming out of her ears.

"Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko snapped up, dropping a few of the items in her arms and then picking them up in a panic. Yashiro stood half way out the door, watching her pick up the unimportant items.

"They called cut and gave everyone a small break while they review the tapes. You can come back in," he informed her.

"Ah, thank," she picked up another paper, "you, Yashiro-san," she finished as she tried to hold everything together - including herself. Yashiro held the door for her and she bowed again as she entered the building again. It was true, everyone was idling by as they waited for the directors approval. Kyoko went to the nearest table and started to organize the mess in her arms. Her eyes couldn't help but scan the room, trying to find Ren somewhere. She frowned and focused on her mundane task when she couldn't find him.

"Woo! Kyoko-chan! I need a cold shower!" Konami appeared beside her unexpectedly, smiling like the cat who ate the canary.

Kyoko blushed but couldn't help the smile on her lips. "You think the scene went well?" she asked modestly.

"Well?" Konami asked incredibly. "It was hot, Kyoko-chan," she exclaimed and then started going into details. "It was like years of pent up sexual frustration finally erupted like a volcano of lust! It was so real. The way the both of you collided together. I thought you guys were really going to screw on the table."

"Konami-san!" Kyoko whined behind her hands, blushing furiously. The playful make-up artist laughed and took Kyoko's hand.

"Come on. No matter the outcome of the scene, we need to fix your make-up and cover that love bite on your neck," Konami said still laughing softly.

"Wh..what?" Kyoko asked as her hand touched her neck. Konami giggled and nodded. She gestured Kyoko to follow her back to the little table they set up for make-up and hair. Kyoko followed obediently. On the mirror, her face became as dark as the lipstick smeared across her lips. If they knew that there was a kissing scene, one would think they would use a stay-put lipstick. No, they purposely used one that would smear at the lightest of touches. The crimson color was all around her lips, across her chin and trailing across her right cheek. In fact, it was darker around her mouth than on her lips. Their heated kiss eating away most of the color that was placed on her mouth. That was where Ren disappeared to - to remove the lipstick from his face. Next was the...

"WAHHH!" Kyoko screamed, drawing the attention of a few people in the area. There clearly on her very exposed neck was a darkening hickey right over her pulse. She started rubbing the spot as if to take it off like it was make-up.

"Kyoko-chan, what are you doing?" Konami stopped her, and Kyoko turned to her in a panic.

"Konami-san, I have a date tonight. I can't," she turned back to the mirror and looked at the hickey again, "I can't have this on my neck."

Konami looked at her confused. "Um, Kyoko-chan. Aren't you dating Tsuruga-san?"

Kyoko turned to her in shock and then blushed lightly. "N...no. We are just friends. Why would you think that?"

"Oh, well, because you are always together. He brings you here, takes you home. You eat together and seem so happy. Everyone thought that..." Konami's voice dropped as a look of concern fell on her face. Kyoko flushed and looked so sad.

"Well, I'm not," Kyoko said bitterly. "Can we get rid of it?"

"No, it takes a few days to go away, but we can cover it up," Konami said encouragingly. "I promise, no one will know it ever happened by the time I'm done. Don't worry, Kyoko-chan."

By the time Konami finished covering up the hickey, Director Suzuki called everything good. So instead of fixing her lipstick, Kyoko washed all the make-up off her face. Everyone was packing up as she took off the wig and changed into her normal clothes. She was actually hoping to skip out before Ren offered her a ride.

_or would he? _Kyoko really didn't want to find out if he would offer or not. If he did, it was because he felt like he had to. If he didn't, then she didn't know if her heart could take the disappointment. She snuck through the area as all the crew men packed everything away. Several of them wished her a good night or told her that she did a good job today. She smiled politely to each of them but kept walking, eager to leave. The moment her foot hit the cement outside, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders thinking that she escaped.

"Are you ready, Mogami-san?"

She didn't. Of course not. She spun around on the ball of her feet and bowed down. "You really don't..."

"Mogami-san, please don't," Ren interrupted. "Let's just go, please."

She looked up and found his hand to his forehead as if he had a headache. Kyoko looked down sadly and nodded. "Okay," she agreed softly and followed him silently to his car.


	20. Surprise?

Chapter 20

The moment Kyoko left the car and disappeared into the restaurant, Yashiro started going off.

"Really, Ren, did you have to be so mean to her? You can't blame her for getting a boyfriend. Especially if she doesn't know your feelings for her. For you to treat her so kindly and then do a complete 180 and...OOF!" Yashiro was thrown to the right smacking against the passenger side door. When he looked around to see what caused Ren to swerve, he saw nothing but them pulled over to the side.

"**Get... Out,**" Ren ordered. His voice was filled with so many thorns that Yashiro thought his ears were bleeding.

"Now Ren, you are being childish. I'm not going to leave because you are heartbroken. We have a plane to..."

"Yes, Yukihito," Ren snapped. "I'm heartbroken. The first woman I have ever loved is with someone else. I Just Now found this out, and everyone wants me to continue like nothing is wrong. All the while, here you are telling me of all the stupid things I didn't say or do as if I Didn't Already KNOW!"

Yashiro gulped and nodded. "I'm sorry, Ren. I'm as stunned as you are. Would you like to cancel the shoot tomorrow?"

Ren gave him a incredulous look. "No, of course not," he replied and pulled back into traffic.

There was no way that Ren could sit in his apartment alone with his thoughts as Kyoko went out on her dates with Ishibashi Hikaru. It was already plaguing his mind throughout the trip. Wondering what they were doing, what she was wearing. Did he make her laugh? Did she laugh differently with him? Was her smile brighter, more sincere? Did he touch her, hold her, kiss her. If so, did she kiss him the same way they kissed each other? Ren touched his lips and closed his eyes as the plane flew over everything. Memories of those soft lips burned on his, the way she tasted, the sounds she made, the timid way her tongue met his. He shifted in his seat, wanting to irritate the scratches she made on his back a few hours ago. Instead of pain, pleasure was sent through him causing him to shiver.

Her image fills his vision behind his eyes. Her flush face beneath him, her warm willing body molding against him. Kyoko smiles up at him and pushes herself up to graced him with another kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck to hold him close. Desire pushes him further, his mouth licks and nibbles down her neck making her squirm and whimper with pleasure and then she moans, "Hikaru."

Ren snapped awake, rocking both his and Yashiro's chair, scaring the crap out of manager.

"What? What's wrong? What happened?" Yashiro asked in a panic, looking around for alarms or the plane going down in flames.

Ren hunched over himself and shook his head. "Nothing Yashiro-san. I merely fell asleep," he told him. Yashiro looked at him suspiciously but let it go. His client was going to be odd for a while. He was going to have to get use to it.

The evening Kyoko spent with Hikaru went without a hitch. They went to dinner where Kyoko made sure to stay on his right side. She trusted the make-up artist but why risk the fates. After dinner he took her out shopping, window shopping since she wouldn't let him buy anything for her.

"I have you again tomorrow, right?" Hikaru asked with a smile, knowing he was correct.

Kyoko nodded. "I've got class and nothing else. I'm yours from 3:30 on," she reminded him.

"Great!" Hikaru cheered and stopped them from walking. He pulled her closer to him, slipping his arms around her waist. "How about I cook you dinner like I promised you on our first date? I'll pick you up and we can have a healthy," he added with a knowing smile making her smile, "dinner at my place. That sounds good?"

Kyoko smiled bashfully. "You don't have to do that for me."

"Hey," Hikaru whispered as he leaned down slightly to look into her eyes. "I want to. I love making you smile," he said softly making her blush and look away. He chuckled and took her chin in his right hand. "I especially love making you blush," he told her then kissed her softly.

The next night came by too quickly as Kyoko stood in front of her bedroom mirror desperately trying to cover up the black hole on her neck called a hickey. The cheap make-up she had did not cover up the blooming mark as well as Konami's did. Not to mention it wasn't this dark last night. It was so dark against her skin and huge! She tried to make the make-up look natural but it ended up as a dark caked on mess. She shook her head and dipped an already used hand towel in a bowl of water in front of her. This was actually the forth time she's tried to cover up the love mark. As she rewet the terry cloth there was a knock on the door causing her to jump and spill the water all over the floor.

"One Moment!" She called out as she tried to clean up her mess. She franticly started smearing more makeup on the freshly cleaned mark trying to hide it as best as she could.

"Kyoko-chan, is everything alright?" the Okami-san called out to her behind her door. A huge sense of relief filled her and she got up to open the door.

"I can't hide it!" Kyoko cried to the older woman. Ai looked at the desperate girl and tried to figure out what she was trying to hide then she saw a large discolored mark at the side of her neck.

"Is that a..."

"SSSSHHHHH!" Kyoko threw her hands up trying to stop the word from coming out of her mouth. The woman pressed her lips together and nodded. She held up one finger to the younger girl and walked back down stairs. Kyoko peeked her head out and heard her telling Hikaru that she needed a few more minutes and to please wait. When Ai came back, Kyoko was cleaning off the make up again, roughly rubbing the spot with the towel.

"Stop that. You are only making it worse."

Kyoko immediately dropped the towel and hung her head down depressed. "I don't know what to do. How am I going to explain this to him?" Kyoko cried.

The kind mother figure kneeled down next to her and set her personal make-up kit down. "I gather that this mark isn't from him?" she asked as she started to pull things from her kit.

Kyoko shook her head solemnly. "It's from Tsuruga-san. We had to do our kiss scene yesterday and things got carried away," she confessed as Ai started to find the right color.

"I see," Ai said with a little laugh. "Well, can't you tell Hikaru-kun that. I'm sure he won't be too upset since it was part of your job."

Kyoko let out a deep sigh. "Would the Taisho be that understanding?" she asked sarcastically making Ai laugh.

"Oh goodness, no," she answered quickly making Kyoko fall deeper into her abyss. "But the situation is a little different. You are an actress, and well that comes with some complications if you are going to date someone. The person that is going to be with you will have to come to terms with you and what you are going to have to do." She gave Kyoko an encouraging smile and then dipped a white sponge into some light concealer. "Now lift your chin up and away, so I an put this on," she ordered.

"Um, that's a little too light, isn't it?" Kyoko said unsure of the pale color.

"Not at all. Your neck is naturally paler than your face. That's why it didn't look right when you were putting your normal make-up on it," she explained. "Just dab on a little concealer... and then some powder to make it look natural... and we are done," Ai explained as she put it on the bruise. Kyoko looked in the mirror and smiled brightly.

"How did you know?" she asked making Ai blush.

"The Taisho and I were young once too," she said secretly making them both giggle. Kyoko came rushing down the stairs, sporting rust colored denim hot shorts and a casual knit black top.

"I'm so sorry, Hikaru!" Kyoko said as she bowed, "I had a little accident with my other outfit, but I'm ready now."

"I don't mind waiting for you," He told her as he walked up to her. He pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear, "especially when you look this beautiful."

"Thank you," she replied bashfully. They both said goodbye to the owners and made their way to his bike.

"You know you really don't have to make me dinner," Kyoko tried again to dissuade him.

Hikaru laughed. "Why are you so against this? I promise. I'm not that bad of a cook. Everything you eat will not poison or kill you," he jested. When they reached his bike, Hikaru pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "There is no way I would let anything bad happen to you."

Kyoko smiled coyly and nodded. "Well since you are making dinner, I can provide the dessert." she offered. He smirked at her and pinned her against his bike.

"Can I have it now?" Hikaru whispered to her darkly.

"Wha...hmmm." The moment he kissed her, she understood his meaning and blushed. She broke the kiss and looked down as he laughed softly.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," he confessed as mounted his bike. He held out his hand to a still blushing Kyoko to help. She simply shook her head and slipped behind him. She was getting use to his bike, holding him so closely. It was embarrassing at first, but what else could she do. Hikaru never seemed to mind though, as soon as she was on, his hand caressed down her bare leg that was snuggled against him. His hand stayed at her knee as he twisted back to watch her buckle her helmet on and asked, "Ready?" Kyoko nodded and encircled his slim waist, getting ready for the ride.

Riding on a motorcycle was vastly different then riding in a car. They couldn't speak to each other, even with microphones in the helmets. You couldn't really look around as you were so distracted with the actual ride. The wind wiping around you as you sped down the streets. The cars so close you could touch them but you dare not. It was freeing, yet at the same time you were constricted to this small amount of space. The ride wasn't boring as they arrived at Hikaru's apartment in a blink of an eye.

Again his hand glided along her thigh, the warmth of his hand seeping through her wind chilled skin. He helped her get off the bike like usual but didn't stop touching her skin. His fingers tickled her leg and then jumped to her hand as she slipped off, his other hand slipped under her shirt and held her waist. It was very distracting. Though, he was her boyfriend and hasn't done anything improper. He was only helping her off his bike, right?

He held her hand as they walked upstairs to his apartment. His hand touched the small of her back as she walked in.

"Please make yourself at home," he said with a bow and a big smile. She laughed softly and bowed back.

"Thank you for inviting me," she replied and slipped on her new slippers. Ones that he bought for her specifically. "Do you need any help with dinner?" She asked as she stepped into the living room.

"Nope!" He quickly stated and ran into the kitchen. "Everything is all done!" He announced as he opened up the fridge. "Sit down at the table and I'll bring everything over," he informed her.

"Um, okay," she said unsure. She didn't smell anything cooking or anything that was cooked. _Perhaps he made sushi?_ She thought to herself as she sat on his couch. What he brought out was a small electric burner and a nabe pot.

"Nabe?" She said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm cheating," he admitted with a little smile. "But the more I thought about it, this was the best idea." He came over with two plates: one filled with various vegetables and the other assorted seafood. "If I cooked the food and then picked you up, it would have gotten cold. If I picked you up and then cooked it, you would have tried to help." He glared at her for a moment making Kyoko laugh. She nodded in agreeance. "Since I only know simply family dishes, nabe was the best bet. Don't you agree?"

Kyoko thought about it. "I wouldn't mind helping though," she told him.

"I know, but I wanted to do this for you. Plus my kitchen is really small. It would be difficult to cook in it together," he said thoughtlessly as he started up the little stove to heat up the broth. "We would be constantly getting in each other's way, bumping and..." Hikaru hesitated and started really thinking about it. A light blush crawled up his cheeks, and he laughed. "Actually, that sounds like fun."

"Um, you are probably right the first time," she mumbled timidly. She had no idea what had gotten into Hikaru that night, but he was very... playful throughout the meal. He sat next to her as they cooked and ate the hot pot together. He fed her, little bites here and there and prompted her to fed him. If a drop of the broth fell onto her hand or arm, he took great pleasure in licking it off. She put a stop to that the first time he did it. Well, she was very careful from that point on. The meal was delicious, the broth had spices that she hadn't tried before making everything absolutely wonderful.

"What's in this? It's got so much flavor," Kyoko asked as she ate a prawn.

Hikaru grinned. "Ishibashi family secret," he informed her with a big grin. "If you really want to know, you'll have to marry into the family."

She blushed, but couldn't say anything in response. She laughed it off as a joke, but felt that the comment was rather sincere. After dinner, they cleaned up with the Kyoko's insisted help.

"Thank you for dinner, Hikaru," she said properly and headed to the door.

"You want to leave?" he asked sadly. "I thought you could stay for a bit. We could talk or watch a movie?" He offered. It was only 7. There was no way he as going to let her go only to wait another month before seeing her again.

"Um, okay. I wouldn't mind watching a movie," she stated, and Hikaru almost cheered. He grinned widely, took her hand and pulled her into his room.

"Um, Hikaru, why are we going into your room?" Kyoko said nervously.

"All my DVD's are in here," he said casually making Kyoko feel like a fool. _He's not going to do anything to you, Kyoko. _She chastised herself. In his room was a large shelf filled with books, manga, CDs and movies.

"Oh my," Kyoko breathed impressed with his collection. It was about six feet tall and took most of his bedroom wall. She could understand why it wasn't in the living room now. His place was already small, to have this in there would make it look crowded. Hikaru stepped up behind her and enclosed her with his arms.

"Shin'ichi calls me a hoarder," he said with a laugh. "I buy anything I like, and I like almost everything I watch, read or listen to."

Kyoko smiled sweetly. "You see the best in everything," she said and turned her face towards him. "There is nothing wrong in that," she finished and gave him a little kiss.

She picked out a drama she hadn't seen before. He had such a wide collection, pretty much every genre or mix of one there was. She wanted something to hold her attention, something that wasn't silly or scary. Little did she know that Hikaru had other things in mind.

"Hikaru," she whined as she tried to pull away, but his arm held her close. He sat on the couch, and twisted towards her and not the screen. He had his left arm around her shoulder, his hand lightly caressing up and down her bare arm. His right hand held her hand, not because he wanted it to, but because she held onto it for dear life. Otherwise it would be trailing up and down her thighs and slinking under her shirt to touch intimate skin. So as she tried to concentrate on the film and keep his hands in one spot, his lips pressed small kisses along her temple, around the cuff of her ear and behind it. She squirmed as he nibbled her ear and licked her skin.

"Watch the movie," she whimpered softly, and Hikaru sighed. He turned towards it, watched it for less then a minute and started all over again. His right hand slipped hers and squeezed her left thigh, his lips started kissing down her neck, and she started to panic as he approached the hickey at the side of her neck.

"Hikaru!" she cried as he gently pushed her to lay down on the couch.

"I've seen it," he muttered against her skin as he moved back up her neck to her jaw. She whimpered not because of pleasure, though what he was doing didn't feel bad, but because she was nervous and scared. He moved on top of her, his legs entwined with hers as his mouth found hers. Kyoko shut her eyes tightly as his sweet kisses morphed into engulfing ones. His mouth sucked and nipped at her lips, his tongue darted into her mouth and took over, twisting and licking inside of her. She tried to keep up, her mind trying to help only brought back the two kisses she had with Ren.

Kyoko tore her lips from Hikaru gasping for air. Guilt and pain etched onto her face as she remembered those kisses. Hikaru never stopped. She had moved her head to her right giving him the chance to move down her neck once again. Every little bit of her was terribly uncomfortable, but she forced herself to calm down. _This is your boyfriend. You are supposed to be enjoying this. This is nice. This feels good. _

She allowed herself to embrace his touch. She moved her head to give him more room and placed her hands at his sides trying to hold him, but he moved around too much. His hands ran up and down her thighs, over her hips and crept up her shirt. That was something she wasn't ready for though. She pushed his hand down as he neared her breast. Thankfully, he got the hint as he kept his hand over her shirt from that point on. Still, he grazed her which gave her a little shock.

When he pulled up, she felt like cheering. He smiled down at her. and she smiled back since she thought it was over. However, he came back down, kissing her tenderly as his hand cupped the right side of her neck. This thumb caressed her jaw and cheek as his lips consumed hers. She was on automatic now. If she wasn't, then she would have put in more effort to keep him away from the one area she didn't want him kissing.

"There is make-up on your neck," he informed her like she didn't know. "Was it left over from work?" She felt his hand start to wipe away the makeup, and Kyoko's hand flew to her neck as she jerked herself up right in her seat. The room was thankfully dark for the movie, so she hoped he didn't see anything.

She laughed nervously as she spoke, "Oh, yeah! Silly me. I thought I got it all off." Quickly trying to distract him, she leaned in for a kiss, but it was too late. He pulled back her hand and frowned.

"Kyoko?" He asked looking at her oddly. "Why do you have a hickey on your neck?" Her face fell in defeat. _And more importantly,_ she thought. "Who is it from?" He finished asking the obvious question out loud.

"It was for a scene," Kyoko quickly explained, "The two characters' first kiss was a passionate one. You know how there are two people who argue a lot and don't really like each other, but they actually do, and they fight and fight and then suddenly they kiss. It was one of those. It was part of the script."

"A hickey was part of the script?" Hikaru asked sarcastically. He sat back away from her. "And who was it that decided that this guy should give you a real hickey versus one made out of make-up?"

Oh, he was angry. Kyoko gathered herself up away from him as far as the couch would allow.

"Um, no one. It was only supposed to be a kiss, but as an actor your character can get carried away. I got carried away bullying someone as Natsu and so did Chiori. It's very easy to do," she tried to explain, to get him to understand. "Tsuruga-san is no..."

"Oh, Tsuruga again," Hikaru barked out and laughed maliciously. "So you're trying to tell me it's okay that Tsuruga Ren "accidently" marked my girlfriend because he got carried away? If you accidently scar someone as Natsu, it's okay because you got carried away," he said coolly as if it made perfect sense.

"What no! I would never let it get that far," Kyoko exclaimed and ruined her whole argument.

"So then he could have stopped before marking you. I would like to think that you would have stopped him if you knew what he was doing? I gather that this is your first hickey since I'm your first kiss, your first boyfriend." He asked and then retracted it, "Or would you? How far would you have let him go, Kyoko? All in the name of work?"

She slapped him. A resounding crack wiped through the small apartment.

"How dare you! It was only a scene! Nothing more! Stop get jealous over nothing," she yelled out.

"Nothing? Another man marked you," he hollered as he stood up from the couch and started to pace. "How could I not be upset about that? You even tried to hide it from me. I think I have the right to be jealous."

Now Kyoko, herself, was getting angry. "I would cover it up even if you did it, Hikaru. You think I want to walk around with a huge purple spot on my neck like some sort of trophy? It's embarrassing!"

"But I didn't do that," Hikaru said through clenched teeth. "He did, intentionally. No one would "accidently" give someone hickey."

"He did not!" she quickly defending him. "He knows I'm dating you. Tsuruga-san would never intentionally mark someone else's girlfriend. This only proves that it wasn't on purpose."

"No," Hikaru yelled back, "This proves that he wants you. You say he got carried away?" he asked and Kyoko quickly nodded. "Okay. Fine. He got carried away. He did want he wanted to do. He kissed you exactly like the scene said but that wasn't enough. He had you in his arms and couldn't stop because he didn't want to." He walked back towards her as he explained. His voice softened next but the frustration and anger still simmered below the surface. "Don't you understand, Kyoko? He wants you like I do. The moment I have you in my arms, I want to do nothing but hold you, kiss you, make love to you." He was on the couch with her again once he finished. Kyoko didn't know what to say, her face flushed as he told her that he wanted to make love to her.

"I don't want you around him anymore," Hikaru demanded making Kyoko frown, her anger returning quickly.

"What? I work with him, and you're wrong. Those weren't his emotions; they were Kenta's. Kenta got carried away with Aika. Why can't you understand this?" She cried.

"Because it isn't true!" He barked back. "Kyoko, please," he grabbed her hands in both of his. "I don't trust him," he whispered softly. "I want to be with you. I love you, Kyoko. I understand that you respect him. I know he is a brilliant actor, but that's all I want between you two. Work. Only work. No more rides, no more dinners or lunches. Please, for me?" He pleaded.

Kyoko instantly wanted to argue. To tell Hikaru that Ren would never voluntarily touch her intimately. That if it wasn't for Kenta, she would never know the taste of his lips, the feel of his hands or mouth on her skin.

It was then that Kyoko realized something. Hikaru was right, well partially.

Ren doesn't see her as a woman, never will. So Hikaru's mistrust was placed on the wrong person. It shouldn't be Ren that he mistrusts, but her. The moment that Kyoko found out she loved Ren, she ran. She ran into Hikaru's arms hoping that she would forget her love for Ren. To stop loving someone who would never love her in return, yet there she was spending every minute of her days and nights with him.

Hikaru was right. She had to stop being so social with him. She needed to cut off anything that wasn't work related. That's the only way she will be free of him, free of the heartache he would eventually cause.

Kyoko nodded. "Okay, Hikaru," she agreed softly and then gasped softly as he threw his arms around her.

"Thank you," he whispered satisfied and moved back slightly showing her his smile. She tried to smile back and to mean it, but her heart wasn't in it. He didn't seem to notice the lack of sparkle in her eyes and kissed her soundly. She stiffened slightly but relaxed. His hands cradled her face as she returned his kiss. Kyoko was glad that Hikaru was happy again, but she didn't agree with his idea of a celebration. He pulled back after a moment and before she could take a breath, he darted back in but instead of kissing her lips, he took her throat. Panic filled her instinctually as his mouth wrapped around her pulse, exactly where the hickey was, and then pain shot through her as he sucked her skin HARD.

"OW! Hikaru! STOP!" She screamed and shoved him off; his mouth made a loud popping sound.

"What the hell!" Kyoko exclaimed as she quickly wiped the spit off her neck.

He grinned at her. "Now it is my mark," he said proudly.

"Are you happy now?" she shouted angrily and got up. "I'm going home," she announced and headed to the door.

"What? I'm supposed to let you walk around with another man's love bite on your damn neck? Why are you so upset? I replaced his mark with mine. At least now if anyone questions it, you can say it was from me," he countered.

"You make that sound like it's a good thing. I don't want anyone's mark on me and then the fact that you felt like you had to do that to save your ego! You just couldn't let it go! ARRRG!" Kyoko screamed out frustrated. She reached the front door, snatched up her shoes and purse and headed out without even slowing down.

"No! I couldn't, and the fact that you don't understand that hurts, Kyoko," he yelled as she started walking down the stairs. Hikaru stepped out barefoot, still yelling, "How would you like it if the man you loved came home with another woman's lipstick on his collar or her scent on his skin?"

Kyoko froze at that. She couldn't help but remember her past. Sho always came home surrounded in women's perfume, but she always contributed it to his female manager. Never did she catch a smug of lipstick on his clothes, but his clothing slowly started to dwindle as he signed with Akatoki. The love she had for him blinded her to the possibilities, but now she was freed from it and able to see the truth for what it was. His betrayal still stung and as she replaced his face with Ren's, her heart almost imploded at the thought of it.

"Do you understand now?" Hikaru pleaded softly to her. She jumped as she hadn't heard him walking up behind her. Kyoko turned and found him an arm length away. "I didn't do that to hurt you, but to erase the fact that he touched you."

"But it wasn't on purpose," she tried again, but Hikaru shook his head.

"I don't care," he whispered. He took that last step towards her, his hand reaching up and gently caressed her face. She understood part of it. If Ren had done it intentionally, and Kyoko had allowed it that would be completely different. The part she didn't comprehend was why Hikaru felt this was the same as Sho when she told him repeatedly that Tsuruga Ren didn't feel anything romantic for her. The fact that she had to continuously state that hurt her more than this argument.

One thing that was for certain was that Hikaru was deeply hurt over this. It didn't matter what the circumstances were that led up to this, it simply caused him pain, and Kyoko didn't want to hurt him. She didn't know what to say, but she wanted his suffering to stop, so she took that last step and hugged him. Hikaru released a deep breath in relief and returned her embrace.

"I love you, Kyoko," he mumbled into her hair and squeezed her tighter. She didn't reply, only buried her face deeper against his shoulder. After a few moments, Hikaru pulled away with a soft smile, kissed her forehead and said, "Come on, let's take you home."


	21. A Friend

Chapter 21

Ren came back from Osaka with a clearer head and a decision made. He would accept the fact that Kyoko had a boyfriend now. As it was he really didn't have a choice, and he never really notice a change in her the whole time she was dating anyone. However, the underlining fact that she was with someone else, that another man was touching her...

Holding her...

Kissing her...

Making lov... _No!_

Kyoko was a still very innocent. Ren was positive that nothing physical was happening between the two of them. If truth be told, he knew that if he ever dated her, that he would have to wait patently for her. He wouldn't be able to fulfill all the dark desires his "mind" would want from her. If this Ishibashi Hikaru felt even a tenth of how Ren felt for her, he would wait as well.

_What if he didn't? What if he pressures her to sleep with him? Telling her that he will leave her if she doesn't put out? _

She would leave him.

_Will she?_

Of course! He had to believe that. Not that her being a virgin was a must. It was the idea of someone else touching her like that. That's what he couldn't stomach. The idea that Ren had to overcome the most was the realization that he always thought she would be with him. It never occurred to him that she would seek someone else out. Yashiro may have mentioned it, but it didn't seem real. It was like her always saying that she would never love again. It was ludicrous. Yet, there Ren was - alone, and Kyoko was in love with another man.

As he returned to Tokyo, Ren actually felt nervous seeing her again. How would things change? He was cold and distant with her on Sunday, but that was because he was in shock and unsettled with the news. He didn't want that to continue. He had to act as if everything was normal. They were friends. Friends didn't abandon each other simply because they were dating someone. Not to mention, they were still working extremely close to each other for at least another month. It would be difficult to be distant with her for that long.

Thankfully, the shooting for Tragic Marker Tuesday night was cancelled. There were some complications at the studio preventing anyone from filming there. Ren actually had the night off which was a nice change; however, his mind quickly wondered what Kyoko was going to do.

Kyoko was cleaning. Her morning was taken up with school and then most of the afternoon was spent on Box 'R'. It was 5:30 when she arrived back home, and she was eager to be alone. No Hikaru, No Ren, No Cain, No acting. Nothing! Just herself, in her room, doing whatever she pleased. Which apparently was cleaning.

She tied a white bandana around her head, tying it securely to the back of her neck and busted out with the heavy duty cleaning supplies made more for the restaurant then a basic bedroom. Kyoko removed everything she could from her room, setting it the hallway. She wouldn't be a hinder to anyone since the Taisho and Okami were downstairs serving their guest. Why wasn't she helping with the on coming dinner rush? They wanted her to rest, and she didn't want to insult their kindness.

However, Kyoko couldn't let this opportunity go to waste! Why she couldn't remember the last time she cleaned her room thoroughly. It was way past due. The room was now cleared and nothing could get in her way. Put on a little music and she could get to work. She walked over to her little stereo and turned it on. Letting the radio station pick her music for her.

_I know you've been pierced by_

_all of my darkness and my lies_

_I'm a prisoner in paradise!_

_There's a thorn in me_

_I wish you'd come and set me free_

*SLAM*

Okay, so no music. Kyoko picked up the handle of the feather duster and started to hum to herself as she attacked every surface and corner. She wouldn't be able to hear the music with the vacuum on anyway, which was her next task. She let the dust settle on the floor by taking the time to open the windows and unraveling the power cord. She really was in no hurry. As she maneuvered the cleaner into the room, she heard her phone ring. Kyoko quickly jumped and swerved around the obstacles in the hallway to get to her purse.

"Hold on, hold on," she told the caller as if they would be able to hear her.

_Tsuruga-san_

_090xxxxxxxxxx_

The moment she saw his name on the caller ID, a huge smile appeared on her face; however, it fell quickly. Yashiro-san called her today, telling her that Tragic Marker was cancelled. Adjustments were made adding most of this Saturday as make-up for both Monday and Tuesday night's loss of filming.

_So why is he calling? _She asked herself. Kyoko wanted to answer it, wanted to hear his voice after 48 hours of not seeing him. Then they had parted under such distress. The fact that he was calling of his own free will meant that he had forgiven her or...

_...or it was work related; therefore, I should answer it. _She reasoned and flipped open the phone hastily.

"Hello?" she sounded breathless as if she had to race to the phone. In a way it was true, thought she was merely holding her breath as she debated with herself.

"Mogami-san, I'm sorry for disturbing you. Are you busy?" Ren's smooth voice fluttered through the phone and into her ear. She smiled softly as she cradled the phone to her ear.

"Hm, no. I was cleaning my room and had to race to the phone. How are you?" she asked instinctively.

"I'm great," he replied happily. She could hear the smile in his voice and her mood elevated drastically once she heard it.

"I gather that everything went well in Osaka then?" Kyoko asked with a huge smile on her face. As Ren started to talk about his trip, she carefully walked through her clutter and stepped back into her room. She wasn't really aware of anything other than what Ren was telling her. She walked over to the window and leaned against the frame. Her eyes were looking outside but she wasn't seeing. She laughed when appropriate and asked questions when necessary. Since it was only one day, his retelling was short.

"What are you up to?" he asked casually.

Kyoko sighed and looked around her room. "Nothing really. Since the shooting was cancelled today, I was left with no plans."

"Ah, you're not going to go out with Ishibashi-san? There is no telling when we will have another day off, " he said as nonchalant as he could. _See, I can be civil about this. _Kyoko got very quiet which was... odd. He figured she would start talking nonstop about her boyfriend and her plans with him. He was prepared for it. If Ren was going to continue to be her friend, he would have to hear all about her relationships.

"Um, no," she answered quietly. Kyoko touched the - now larger and darker - hickey on her neck and shook her head. "I thought I would spend the evening alone this time," she confessed. Ren frowned. She sounded so sad, completely unlike a girl in love. Well, she wasn't acting like the girls he's seen in love, especially one so new into a relationship.

"Did something happen, Mogami-san?" He asked with real concern. Kyoko smiled sadly into the phone and let herself sink onto the floor. _Ren really doesn't mind that I am seeing someone. He's even offering advice again, ever the loyal senpai. _She licked her lips unsure if she should even bring this up. She knew it wasn't his fault, so why should she even mention it. They had come to an understanding, but it still bothered her.

"Mogami-san?" He asked again as her silence remained unbroken.

"Sorry," she whispered. "We got into a little fight last night," she confessed softly. Now it was his turn to be silent. _Perhaps this was too personal a subject to bring to him. _She thought fearfully.

Ren actually had to stop himself from being happy. Here Kyoko was being tormented by an argument she had with her boyfriend... _who she cares about, _he reminded himself, and he was grinning like a fool. It took every single acting method he has ever learned to keep his smile from seeping into his voice.

"What happened?" Ren finally asked.

"Um, well, he... uh," Kyoko stammered as the reason for the argument was rather awkward. She took a little breath and said, "He saw the hickey you gave me on Sunday's shoot and got insanely jealous." As soon as the words left her lips, she pictured Ren start lecturing her on the actors rule and that it didn't mean anything. Since she didn't want to hear those tragic words from his lips, she thought to beat him to it.

"But I tried to explain it to him that we were in character," she said hysterically. "That it was an uncontrollable outcome to the scene we were forced to do. He still got angry and started to throw all these wild accusations, but don't worry, Tsuruga-san. I set him straight, well sort of. He says that he doesn't trust you," she said quietly and then started to laugh nervously. "But yeah, Everything is fine now. He understands somewhat. It's just after that, I didn't..." her hand touched her neck again and couldn't admit that she didn't want to see him. She looked at the floor and smiled weakly. "It's silly, isn't it?"

"It's not," he responded sincerely. Kyoko blinked confused by his statement but before she could ask, Ren continued. "Even though you weren't bothered by it, it bothered him and your causal acceptance of it set him on edge. Some people need a lot of reassurance when they are in a new relationship, Mogami-san. Even if he is dating an actress, he might have simply wanted some sort of comfort. Comfort in knowing that his popular girlfriend still only wanted him, or even a simple apology for letting things get too far and speaking of which," he paused, trying to segregate his next words.

"I'm very sorry about that, Mogami-san," Ren said from the bottom of his heart. "It was never my intention to hurt you, especially leaving something so blatant as a hickey on your neck. I am especially sorry that my negligence caused you so much angst in your relationship."

"Oh, but Tsuruga-san, it wasn't your fault. You have nothing to apologize for," she said slightly stunned.

"It is, and I am. I was the one who caused it and all I can ask is for your forgiveness. Do you forgive me, Mogami-san?" He asked dolefully.

"Yes, please don't worry about it, Tsuruga-san. As you said, it meant nothing, so..."

"I never said that," Ren interrupted.

"W...what?" Kyoko stuttered.

"How people perceive things is up to them. Don't assume how a person will take things simply because of one example from your past. Ishibashi-san had a completely different reaction to this instance than you expected, correct?"

Kyoko nodded and then spoke her agreement, "Yes."

"See, so take each case separately and use your best judgment. I'm sure everything will work out in the end," he ended with a cheery tone, confusing her but at the same time bringing out a smile of her own.

"Yes, of course. I will do my very best," she said determined making Ren laugh softly.

"I know you will," he said softly, "I have the utmost faith in you."


	22. Changes

Chapter 22

The hectic schedule picked up where it left off Wednesday morning, only things were slightly different now. They were back in the usual studio for Love's Rival and filming for Tragic Marker continued that night. The things that were different were obvious as soon as the day started. First, Kyoko declined Ren's offer for a ride that morning.

"I'm very sorry, Tsuruga-san, but I have to forgo your rides for a while. Please understand that is nothing against you, it's a..." Kyoko paused trying to find the word, "childish misunderstanding," she said in an almost angry tone. "Please don't be upset. I am forever grateful for all the kindness you have given me." She bowed to him deeply, hoping that her promise to Hikaru wouldn't make her seem unappreciative of everything Ren did for her.

"Is this the outcome of that little discussion you told me about?" Ren asked vaguely. Kyoko stood up properly and nodded softly with a sad little expression. Ren pressed his lips together in annoyance but understood the situation. She had mentioned that her boyfriend didn't trust him. Meaning that Hikaru had complete faith in Kyoko, but thought that if Ren was alone with her even for the briefest moments, he would ravish her. Ren almost laughed at that as if he didn't have the opportunity to do so when she was at his apartment or at the hotel room. A thought suddenly occurred to him as he thought about the hotel.

"Mogami-san, what about our other project? Time is often rather short going from one assignment to the next," he asked inquisitively.

"Ah," Kyoko said with a bright smile. "That is not an issue. Everything concerning that will continue as usual. I will not let something personal affect that mission." Ren watched her for a moment. It felt like that bright smile was hiding something rather unpleasant in her head. Not really wanting to probe the situation any further, he curtly nodded once and changed the subject.

The next was lunch. Instead of joining Yashiro and Ren for lunch as she always does, she choose to sit with a group of the other actresses. This one was a little difficult for Ren. The rides were understandable to a degree. Trying to see it from a boyfriend's point of view, he wouldn't want her taking rides with another man even if they were coworkers. So Ren felt that one was justifiable; however, not eating lunch with him? His manager was even there to play chaperone. Was it really necessary for her to go that far? Especially since Hikaru had no way of knowing if she did or didn't.

_**So you want her to do things she shouldn't behind his back? Perhaps she should continue with your rides then, maybe even date you without him knowing. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? **_

Ren wanted to roll his eyes at himself. When did he get such a dark inner voice? He didn't like it, but his feelings were not the ones she was trying to pacify. Then to add salt to his wounds, his trusty manager also noticed the not so subtle change.

"Where is Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked with his bento in hand. Ren had sat down first, picking the little four-seater they always ate at. Normally, Yashiro would be right behind him; however, a phone conversation about another job delayed his arrival. Ren glanced up at his ignorant manager and gestured to the other table where all the girls were talking animatedly to Kyoko.

"Why is she over there?" He asked another seemingly dumb question to Ren who was trying to get over this new development.

"That is something that you would have to ask her, Yashiro-san," Ren said with the barest of threats lining his voice. Unfortunately, his manager was either dense or immune to his threats as he never seemed affected by them. Yashiro sat down and broke open his seal looking over at the other table confused.

"Is she mad at you?" He asked trying to figure out this enigma. "Did you scare her again?" Yashiro accused him, making Ren roll his eyes and sigh.

"No, Yashiro-san, she isn't angry at me, nor did I scare her. I am not angry at her, either. She simply is having lunch with her other costars. It is not newsworthy," Ren stated tiredly.

Yashiro eyed him suspiciously. _This guy might have scared her off and not even noticed it. He's really dense when it comes to women. _He tried to rephrase his question, "So you didn't have a fight with her about anything?"

Ren closed his eyes and counted to ten. He then turned to his manager and smiled brightly to him. "No, _Mogami-san and I," _Ren stressed, "didn't argue about anything," he spoke slowly and clearly as to make sure his manager understood.

"Humph," Yashiro sounded unconvinced. He started digging into his meal as he spoke, "I thought maybe that incident with the love bite might have come up. Kyoko-chan couldn't have been too happy about having that on her neck. She had it covered up this morning, and Konami-san keeps refreshing the spot to make sure it stays unnoticed."

"She forgave me for that," Ren stated quickly.

"Oh, well that's good. I wonder how her boyfriend took it," Yashiro said without thinking. Ren simply looked over at Kyoko with a grim expression. Yashiro looked up at him then over at the table of girls, and it all clicked.

"Ah, I see," Yashiro said quietly.

Meanwhile, Kyoko was having almost the exact same conversation with the other actresses at the table.

"Of course you can join us Kyoko-chan, but why aren't you sitting with Tsuruga-san?" Fujimaki Rei asked innocently. Rei played one of Aika's three closest and dearest friends. Asano Miwa and Hasegawa Shiori were her other two friends and also looked up from their meal wondering the same thing.

Kyoko opened her mouth to give some lame reason and then realized something horrible. All this time, she was neglecting her other costars by only eating with Ren. All the opportunities to find new friends were lost because of her stupid heart. Kyoko dropped her bento onto the table and bowed down deeply.

"I am so sorry! I never meant to imply any ill will to you three by not eating with you. It's simply that he is..."

Laughter stopped her words as the three girls who played her friends started to giggle at her antics. "It's fine Kyoko-chan. We really don't blame you. Sit down. We would love to have lunch with you," Rei said politely. The girls were still giggling softly as Kyoko sat down embarrassed and ashamed of her previous behavior.

"Being with Tsuruga Ren, I wouldn't care about anyone else either," Miwa said as Kyoko settled in only to make her snap to attention.

"Not that you don't care, Kyoko-san," Rei quickly countered, "but we understand why you didn't eat with us. I'd want to spend all my time with him too."

"Um," Kyoko tried to chime in but was cut off by Shiori, "Did you get into a fight with your boyfriend?"

Now Kyoko was completely confused. _How did they know I got into a fight with Hikaru? Did it really seem like I was ignoring everyone when Tsuruga-san was around? _

"Uh, how did you..." Kyoko asked and again was interrupted by Rei.

"It's a little obvious," Rei said quietly. "Everything changed rather quickly, like black to white." Kyoko looked down embarrassed that she was so transparent.

"But who was the guy you came in to work with? Are you two timing, Tsuruga-san?" Miwa asked making Kyoko drop her chopsticks.

"What?" Kyoko almost yelled out. "I... I'm not two timing anyone. That was my boyfriend bringing me into work, Ishibashi Hikaru." The three girls looked at Kyoko like she was some alien from outer space.

"You dumped Tsuruga-san?" Rei asked incredibly.

"N...n...no," Kyoko stuttered. "I was never dating Tsuruga-san. We are just friends," she said with a blush to her cheeks.

"Really?" All three of the girls spoke at the same time, making Kyoko look at each of them while nodding desperately.

"Oh, we're sorry, Kyoko-chan. It looked like you two were dating. It's a shame, since you guys look really good together," Rei said without a hint of sarcasm causing Kyoko to blush and shake her head. She told them it was because their characters were falling in love in the film. They said the same thing about Ren and Momose on Dark Moon. Those conclusions were inevitable.

Still the fact that these three girls actually accepted that she could be Tsuruga Ren's girlfriend gave her a little bounce in her step. Even if she was forced to stay away from Ren socially, she was still able to talk to him like a friend during breaks and between shootings. Though, this awkwardness was only for Love's Rival as everything seemed to return to the days of old the moment they were due to be become the Heels. Kyoko rode with him to the hotel, they changed characters and the dinners, laughter, and affections between the two of them went untouched by the drama of their normal lives. In fact, the moment they became Setsu and Cain, it was like they were finally able to return to normal.

Finally, Kyoko's extraordinary precautions for lunch proved to be fruitful as Hikaru seemed to become a constant guest at the stage of Love's Rival. It didn't happen right away. First, Hikaru took over Ren's ride privileges. The uncomfortable part being that he was always bringing her on a motorcycle instead of something safer like a car. At the same time, Ren found himself quite upset when he didn't bring her to work.

_Really, he should simply allow me to bring her to work. It's better all around for safety and convenience. _ He thought rationally. _**Right, you just want to have her back on your schedule again. Getting to see her first thing in the morning, spending every meal with her like before. **_His darker thoughts countered his logical side, once again making Ren stay silent.

While they still slept at the hotel should things get too late on Tragic Maker, Setsu was fully in control while there. Kyoko never appeared while in that room, and as soon as they woke up the next morning, she would have Ren drive her home even though there was only an hour till they had to be on the set of Love's Rival.

About three days into this new routine, Hikaru started to eat lunch with her. It seemed that his schedule was rather free compared to Ren's or Kyoko's. Hikaru would bring her lunch, either from a restaurant or something that he made himself, and he had no problem eating with the other actresses that Kyoko now ate with exclusively.

"It's been what.. two? three? weeks now, and he is still coming around. You would think that after all this time, he would relent!" Yashiro exclaimed as they watched the two of them eat alone this time.

"Why should he?" Ren asked as he tried to keep his mind on his meal or at least thinking about the next act. "Our schedules are so condensed that this is the only time he gets to see her. Why would he want to give that up when everyone accepts his presence on set now?"

"Not everyone," Yashiro said defiantly making Ren smile.

"Well, there is only a few weeks left of filming for both of our roles, so things will be going back to before. You won't have to see him again if you don't want to, Yukihito-kun," Ren said mockingly making Yashiro glare at the younger man.

"Might I remind you she will suddenly disappear from your life all together after these films are over," Yashiro snapped. "As it is, you have about a week left with Setsuka. The fact that you had this much time with her was a miracle. It's not often that you get to work with an actress more than once. You've already laughed at the fates by working with her in three consecutive roles. They are not going to give you another chance here."

"A chance for what, Yukihito?" Ren asked quietly. Laugher was heard over the crowds and both men looked at the source. Kyoko was holding her hand over her mouth as she tried to suppress her laugher at something Hikaru was saying. A huge smile was on his face as he enthusiastically told her a story.

"They aren't getting married, Ren," Yashiro stated frankly. "It's rare that a person ends up happily ever after with their first love."

Ren snorted. "He isn't her first love, remember?" he said sadly causing Yashiro to frown.

_Meanwhile..._

"...and crash! Everything came down. Oh man, she was so embarrassed," Hikaru finished with a huge smile.

"I would be too!" Kyoko exclaimed. "And to make things worse you laughed at her. What kind of brother are you?"

"Hey, she would have laughed at me just as hard. I helped her clean it up. Everyone did," he defended himself.

"I'm sorry I couldn't go," Kyoko said softly.

"It's fine," Hikaru assured her. "I told them that you are working on several shows, and that it was difficult to find time off. They understand."

"Thanks, but you're not upset about it? That I couldn't meet them?" Kyoko asked hesitantly.

"Na, there is always next time. My family doesn't travel much, and my first sister is only a train ticket away while the other barely started high school. The next time you are free, I'll tell them about it, we'll plan something, and you'll meet my family," Hikaru told her, not really worried about it.

Kyoko squirmed anxiously. "Do you think they will like me?" she asked bashfully making him laugh.

"Of course," Hikaru said without a doubt. "I've told them all about you, and they've seen all your stuff." He suddenly grinned. "They still can't believe I'm dating Natsu. Sango-nee-chan kept telling me that I was lying. No girl that beautiful would ever date me."

Kyoko blushed and started to mumble incoherently, "She thinks... maybe cute... but... I'm not..."

Hikaru laughed and leaned in towards her. "She's right. You're beautiful, Kyoko, and I'm lucky to be with you," he whispered softly making her burn a darker red. He leaned in to kiss her, taking her chin in his hand and gently lifting her lips up to him. Kyoko's eyes went wide, and she quickly pushed herself away.

"Hikaru, not here. I'm at work," she whimpered. Hikaru slumped but nodded.

"Okay, sorry." He stood up and gave her a hand, helping her stand. They started walking back towards the set. "I've got to go, but I should be able to pick you up tonight. Filming ends at 6 tonight right?"

"Um, Hikaru, I have to go to my other job right after, so..." her voice drifted off as she felt Hikaru's unease.

"So Tsuruga-san will take you," he finished her statement callously. He twisted around and stood in front of her. "What is this other job that you have with him? The only thing that you told me about is that it's a LoveMe assignment. Why is this assignment taking so long? What is President Takarada having you do with him? And why can't you tell me anything else about it?"

"Hikaru, I've told you before. The project is extremely secretive. The fact that you know I'm working with Tsuruga-san is bad enough. No one is suppose to know he is apart of it. Please, trust me and don't ask any questions," Kyoko pleaded.

"I don't understand why you can't tell me? Do you think that I'll go to the press if I knew? Do you really believe me to be that kind of guy?" He asked, hoping that she would spill her secret.

"No, of course not, but I swore that I would never tell anyone. Even Moko-san doesn't know," she told him again. It felt like they had this conversation every time this topic came up.

"Right, only the President, some director, Yashiro-san, and you know about this big secret mission," he stated cynically. He looked at her for a moment. Her face met his with this pleading desperate look that begged for his understanding. He sighed and nodded. Kyoko immediately smiled in relief.

"Thank you, Hikaru. I promise that if I get the okay to tell anyone, you will be the first one I tell. Okay?" She swore and gave him a brief hug. "I need to head back to the set. I'll talk to you later, okay." She started to walk away but Hikaru stopped her, taking her hand gently.

"Kyoko, this assignment is real right? You really are doing another film or show with him? It's not..." he couldn't say it. He couldn't finish saying what his worrisome heart was hinting at.

Kyoko looked at him with a confused face. "Yes, of course, it's real. Why would I try and make something like that up? I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow," she stated again and took off.

Hikaru watched her go. She jogged over to the rest of the cast where they were circling around the director for information on their next scene. As she finally merged with the rest, Hikaru couldn't help but notice her stand next to Tsuruga. Ren smiled softly down at her as she greeted him and then started to talk about something. She looked so happy, so comfortable next to him.

"To be with him. Why else," he whispered sorrowfully.


	23. Heartbreak

Chapter 23

It's Thursday right before lunch on the set of Love's Rival. Kyoko was thankful that today's shooting started so late. With all the time missing from Tragic Marker and the end coming so very near, they stayed up till three in the morning filming. She slept in, well as much as she could, which was 8ish. When all of this was over, she was going to go to bed at 8pm every night for a week.

Kyoko arrived on the set via Hikaru about thirty minutes early. Hikaru leaned the bike down to allow Kyoko to slip off, though stayed sitting on the machine. He slipped off his helmet to talk to her.

"I'll be here at 4pm, okay?" he informed her.

She nodded once. "Yes, then we will go out to eat since I'll probably be starving and then off to Kimagure Rock," she relayed the plan with a cheery smile. They had a brunch since Kyoko doubt that there would be a break for food till they finished.

"I'll see you later then," she said and then stepped up to him, placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a small goodbye kiss; however, Hikaru wanted more than a small peck on the lips. His right arm caught her around the waist and held her close. He cupped her face with his left and held her against him allowing him to deepen the kiss. She whimpered softly but didn't back away instantly like he expected. Though, she wasn't comfortable with it either. Her hands clenched his shirt at his shoulder, and he could feel her tense under his arm. She pulled away, and he let her go, almost with a sad sigh.

He didn't understand why she found kissing him so troublesome. Hikaru would understand if she felt that way when he tried to be affectionate in public, but she does it in private too. He's not an expert in women, but he's had a few girlfriends and none of them react like Kyoko when he kisses them. He never had any complaints about taking it too fast or even being a bad kisser. At first they'll be shy and blush, then they all warm up and start wanting more. Things were not so with Kyoko though.

"Kyoko, you like being with me right?" he asked quietly. Kyoko blinked at him wondering where that came from. His face was serious, not an ounce of humor on it.

"Yes," she said seriously. "I enjoy spending time with you, Hikaru. I wouldn't be dating you if I didn't enjoy your company." She tried to smile at him comfortingly, hoping that her answer would help resolve whatever is going on in his head.

He gave her a small sad smile. "How about physically?" He asked unable to look at her face while doing so. If he had, he would have seen confusion, then Kyoko suddenly pale with a grim face, then after a moment appropriately blush to his comment.

"Hikaru, I..." she shuttered. "I'm not ready to..." hesitation, "do _that, _yet." She squirmed under his arm as she tried to explain. Hikaru laughed softly and looked up at her flushed face.

"I know. I'm sorry. Forget I asked. I'll see you tonight," he stated as he reached up and caressed her face. She nodded softly, still trying to swallow the little bomb he dropped on her about sex, even though the question wasn't about sex. Did Kyoko like it when he touched her at all? She jumped lightly whenever he touched her as if it was by surprise every single time. He contributed her stiffness to being her first boyfriend. Each embrace, each kiss was met with resistance that he hoped would fade after a few weeks, yet it was still the same three months into the relationship.

Kyoko watched Hikaru take off still confused about his question. She noticed a lot of mild changes in her boyfriend recently. The first and most obvious one was the affection. He touched her more and in more intimate places. Not as intimate as second or third base, but bare skin - her knee, up to mid-thigh, her stomach, waist and back. He held her whenever he could. A random embrace wherever they may be or held her while watching a movie or even talking in private. Then there were his kisses. Those soft little kisses she first was introduced to didn't exist anymore. Now they were heated, filled with longing and desire. He was still soft, tender, with only mild licking. He never forced his tongue down her throat like Sho, nor did he sweep into her mouth teasing her tongue like Ren did.

A fierce blush crawled up her face as she remembered those few kisses Ren gave her while acting. If all Ren did was romances, she would understand why he would be called the co-star killer and why everyone fell in love with him. It wasn't the case as he was simply breathtaking no matter how he acted, but all he had to do was kiss someone and they would be head over heels in love with him or at least in lust. The way he kissed. It made her toes curl. He made a person feel like there was only them, that they were the most delicious thing he had ever tasted in his life, and he wanted to savor it. It wasn't just his mouth either, the way he held them with his whole body pressed up against the other, his arms holding them safe and secure as if nothing could ever happen to them even if the world was crumbling around them.

"Mogami-san?" Once again Ren appears out of no where making Kyoko yelp in shock. It seemed like he was calling out to her for a while as a worried look was on his face. She blushed as she thought about her previous thoughts and then growled. She shot him a little glare.

"You should come with a warning label," she snapped, twisted around and stormed off to the set where she should have been all this time. Ren stood there blinking at the odd woman wondering, _What did I do now?_

Kyoko went straight into her dressing room to change into Aika. Things were getting lively as the filming was about to commence. She wasn't too worried about what Ren wanted outside. No doubt he saw her standing in the middle of the parking lot lost in her thoughts and wanted to snap her out of it. If he wanted something else, he would have called out to her when she left.

Konomi, her make-up artist, fixed her up with light make-up and a fun hairstyle - half of the length was pinned up and curled with the rest of her wavy hair. All these fun hairstyles was making Kyoko miss her old natural hair. _If I had the time, I so would have done fun things like this with my hair. _Kyoko thought almost regretfully. _Though mine is so much easier to manage. _

She came out in a flirty off the shoulder purple blouse with a ruffled cream skirt. Aika was definitely all about style, and she loved to show off her body in a mild sensual way. Kyoko rather liked it give or take a few of the more revealing blouses. This one was light and comfortable but she preferred if it stayed on her shoulder. She immediately saw Yashiro but no Ren. It was odd but his hair took longer than hers did. It probably fought the make-up artist tooth and nail to keep looking nice instead of messy.

"Mogami-san," Ren called out from behind her.

Kyoko turned around to find Kenta walking up to her though with better posture and no glasses. She smiled at his mop of dark brown hair and almost snickered thinking of how much hair gel it took to stay messy.

"Hi Tsuruga-san, how are you?" She asked cheerily making him frown in confusion.

"I'm fine, but um... you're not upset at me or anything are you?" Ren asked her. Her previous comment plaguing his mind the moment they left her lips.

"No, why?" She replied puzzled.

"Well, earlier in the parking lot you said..."

Kyoko laughed. "Oh that. You can't help but be you. Please don't worry about that," she said with a little laughter in her voice as she waved her hand between them dismissing the comment.

"Kyoko-san!" Director Suzuki called out of her. She lifted her hand and nodded. "Excuse me, Tsuruga-san."

Ren watched her leave again still completely baffled by her. Yashiro, who caught part of the conversation, came up asking, "What was that about?"

"I really wish I knew," Ren replied honestly.

Today would be a bunch of random shots of Kenta and Aika in their lofts. Most of the scenes are their living rooms. Kenta picking up or dropping off Aika from a date or from class. Studying with her friends or alone in Kenta's case. Cooking, lounging, simple, small scenes that required a minute of the film's time that would lead to something else that happens in the film. The first was Aika's place since it had the most stuff then the stage was redone with Kenta's modest furniture. While the scenes were short in duration, the actual time to shoot everything took about four hours. They had to change for each new scene, to take out things or put in props required. It took more time to set up for each one than it did to film it. While there were little to no lines, it was tiring.

It was around 3pm when they called out a break.

"Thirty minutes while we set up the karaoke set," Director Suzuki called out. Kyoko smiled brightly at that. She was looking forward to this. To be able to go out and do karaoke with a group of friends was something every teenager should do - or so she seen. She remembered the girls in middle school going out to do karaoke and never inviting her. Well this time she will get to do it, even if it's for pretend.

Thirty minutes later, Director Suzuki called everyone over.

"For this scene, we set up the stage with a real karaoke machine. Please do the scene as it states but those who are singing feel free to actually pick a song from the book and actually sing it. None of your characters are required to sing well or badly so please have fun with it," Suzuki announced with a big smile. Most of the cast cheered, including Kyoko herself. Ren was so pleased that his character didn't have to sing even if he was going to be there.

**Aika dragged Kenta behind her, walking down the little hallway that lead up to the karaoke booth her friends had rented for the evening. **

**"Kenta, it's not big deal. I promise you don't have to sing," Aika said frustrated at her boyfriend's mule like status. **

**"Then why am I here?" He griped with his head down and shoulders hunched over. **

**"To meet my friends," she said for the thousandth time. **

**"I know your friends. The blonde one is Amazume-san. The short brunette is Nekoi-san, and the loud one is Murukawa-san. They sit right next to you in class every day," Kenta said it like he was reciting definitions or law. **

**She looked up at him with suspicious eyes. "What are their first names?" she challenged. **

**Kenta got a big fat blank. "Uh... Hana, Ayame, and Yuki," he guessed and from the look on her face, guessed badly. **

**"Okay... stick to their last names," she grumbled and opened the door to the room. **

**"AIKA!" Two of her friends screamed out as they burst out of their seat to hug their friend. **

**"Haruki," she called out a little louder than usual and hugged the blonde one and then did the same to the short brunette, "Amaya. Where is Suzu?" Aika asked as she threw a look back at Kenta. He nodded taking note of each of their names should he be tested again. Suzu was the loud one, and he was completely off with her name. At least he got the first letter of the other two. **

**"She's late as usual. She's probably doing it with her boyfriend before they head over," Amaya said offhandedly making Kenta roll his eyes from behind his hair. Before he even had time to prepare, her two friends side stepped Aika and swarmed him. **

**"Nakashima Kenta," Amaya pronounced his name out carefully. Each syllable clearly spoken. For a moment there, he thought his mother was in the room. "Can we call you Kenta-kun?" The blonde asked sweetly. **

**"Yeah, sure," he said quietly and shot a look over to Aika that screamed, _DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE HERE! _ However, it was too late as Amaya already took his arm within hers and started slamming him with questions. **

**"He cleans up nice, Aika," Haruki said appreciatively. "I gather you dressed him?" she asked looking at Aika. Aika nodded as she watched him struggle with Amaya's verbal assault. He was so flustered; it was adorable. She couldn't help but smile at the scene. **

**"Is he as nice out of his clothes too?" Haruki asked and Aika nodded again, and then stopped. **

**"W...what?" Aika stammered and blushed furiously. "I don't know! We just started dating!" **

**Haruki laughed. "Oh, I thought you dressed him." **

**"I didn't mean literally," Aika barked making Haruki laugh harder. **

**"I'm messing with you. You are the only one of us with only one lover. You should have more fun. I bet he would be..." Haruki looked at the nervous and shy Kenta. "a complete bore. Why are you dating him again?"**

**"He is not boring. I like him. He stimulates my mind," Aika replied honestly making Haruki shake her head. **

**"I rather they stimulate other things," she shot back and left to join the inquisition. **

**"Oh he does that too," Aika whispered to herself remembering their first kiss. There is definitely fire under that cool exterior, she only needed to learn which buttons to push. **

**Aika saved Kenta from her two friends by making them sing a song with her. One that they didn't get to finish before her last friend, Suzu and her boyfriend, Tadashi came in. **

**"SUZU IS HERE!" She yelled out with a flourish. The three girls all rushed over to her and started chattering a mile a minute while Tadashi, already use to their antics, stepped around them and headed towards Kenta. **

**"Hey," Tadashi greeted Kenta and sat adjacent to him. That's it. That was all he said, and it was like music to Kenta's ears, but it was short lived as the newest and loudest one of her friends found her prey. **

**"Kenta-kun, it's so nice to finally meet you," she said with a touch of sarcasm. She walked over to where Tadashi was and sat next to him, closest to Kenta. He instantly wanted to move. This one was the one Kenta liked least from her group of friends. She was loud, obnoxious and... simply rubbed Kenta the wrong way. **

**"Aika has told us almost nothing about you," Suzu said hoping to strike a nerve. **

**"Suzu! That's not true, Kenta," Aika said with a little pout. She had sat next to him and snuck her arm through his. She was the only thing that was holding him in this torture chamber. **

**"Okay, she's mentioned how much she hated you stealing her number 1 spot," she amended with a smile. **

**"SUZU!" Aika screamed. **

**"What?" Suzu replied with big innocent eyes. Kenta actually smiled at that comment. That sounded like his Aika. He turned to her with a little smirk and placed his left hand over her arm that was holding his. **

**"But it's true, right?" he asked Aika softly while lightly caressing her skin. She blushed and laughed a little. She picked up her hand and with her thumb and forefinger left a little gap between her fingers, saying a little bit. **

**Aika's three friends looked in awe at the expression on Kenta's face towards their friend. They had seen him in school, the serious expression and messy, careless attire and dismissed him easily. But this Kenta was completely different. Well, not completely, but he seemed more now then before. That little smirk on his lips and that mischievous look in his eye as he looked at Aika spoke volumes about the mousy Kenta they thought they knew. **

**"Let's start singing!" Suzu yelled out and all the girls started following her. **

The scene was suppose to end with each of the girls singing at least one song; however, they wanted to do more, soon everyone's characters fell away, letting everyone in the cast have a little fun. Suzuki called everything done, and the crew joined in, or at least those that wanted to join in did. At 4 o'clock, Hikaru came in as promised to what he thought was a party.

There were a few working around here or there so he stopped one of the crewmen and asked, "What's going on?"

"Ah, they are goofing around," the crewman replied, "The day ended like 40 minutes ago. I'm actually heading out now."

"Thanks, have a good one," Hikaru thanked him and headed over to the singing group. Kyoko was singing with the actress named Asano Miwa. Everyone was laughing and smiling as the two girls sang a cute song about confessing to a crush. The two actresses played up the song, acting embarrassed or lovesick at the right lyrics. Everyone cheered when the song finished making Kyoko blush and Miwa bow down at the expected applause.

They handed off the mics to another person and went to sit back down. Hikaru tried to catch her attention but the number of people on the small stage was staggering. He watched her step around everyone sitting on the three couches and take a small spot at the end squished between Fujimaki Rei and Tsuruga Ren, and he saw red. Yes, it was crowded and no doubt she sat there while they shot the film but why was she still there? And why was his arm around her?

"Kyoko!" Hikaru yelled out at the same time as the next song started to blare out of the speakers. He struggled to get by as Kyoko looked around.

"Did you hear someone call me?" She leaned in and asked Ren. He looked down at her and then started to look around. Ren saw movement coming from the back. He stood up, towering over everyone and saw Hikaru trying to pass through the thick of the crowd.

Sitting back down, his arm slipping on the back of the couch again, he leaned in and spoke into her ear, "Ishibashi-san is here."

"Ah, thanks," she replied with a little bow. Hikaru made it through the crowd just in time for Kyoko to place her hand on Ren's knee and stand up. Kyoko found him behind one of the couches and started excusing herself towards him.

"Hi, Hikaru!" She yelled out over the music with a bright smile.

"We need to go," he informed her rather roughly making her nod quickly. He held out his hand, and she took it. Kyoko climbed onto the couch and straight into Hikaru's arms, who picked her up and set her down gently beside him. He led the way out of the group and started heading out without thinking.

"Hikaru, wait. I need to change," Kyoko called out making him stop. She was still dressed as her character.

"Oh, sorry." Hikaru dropped her hand. "I'll wait out here."

"Is something wrong, Hikaru?" Kyoko asked as she reached out for his hand again. He smiled weakly at her and shook his head.

"Na, I was surprised that's all, coming into all that," he gestured to the karaoke party. "Go change, I'll be here." Kyoko nodded and ran off, heading to the dressing rooms.

Hikaru had to take a deep breath - several deep breaths. He was so upset that he wasn't thinking about anything but getting her away from that group, from him. He needed to relax, to calm down. He never thought himself a jealous person until now. Perhaps he needed to rethink things, to stop imagining things that were not there. Kyoko was with him, came to him willingly if not a little timid. She had her heart ripped apart by Fuwa Sho, so he needed to be more patient with her. He waited a year to date her, maybe it would take another for her to get comfortable with him.

He drifted back to the crowd singing but didn't dare go into it, fearful of not being able to get out again. A couple guys of the crew was singing a pop song by Da Pump. This was the third song he's listen to while waiting for Kyoko to change. He looked at his watch, it been around ten minutes. No doubt she wanted to wash up a little, fix her hair after it was under the wig for so long. Still, he was getting bored, so he started heading to the dressing rooms. On his way over, he saw the bespectacled manger of Tsuruga's talking on the phone with a glove on.

"Yes," he said into the phone. Hikaru ignored him, turning down the hall to escape eavesdropping in the conversation.

"He is currently changing from his previous job. We will be there in about twenty minutes," a short pause, "Yes. That will be fine. Thank you," Yashiro finished his conversation and put away his phone. He turned around, and peeked back into the studio to listen to the singers while waiting for Ren to finish.

Hikaru had long disappeared from Yashiro's line of sight. He moved towards the back dressing rooms where he had this foreboding fear drive him. He was about to round the corner hoping to see her alone. Yet before he reached the edge, he was stopped by a man's chuckle. He crept to the edge, staying hidden and couldn't help but listen in.

"That was more embarrassing then I thought," Kyoko confessed, her voice a little muffled. Hikaru could picture her hiding a blushing face behind her hands as she spoke.

"But you did it so well," Ren tried to reassure her with a gentle sincere tone.

"I probably sounded like a strangled cat. I was happy about the scene but when we dropped characters, it was so much different," she cried. "You should have sang too!" She added grumpily. Her words were serious, but Hikaru could hear her jesting tone.

Ren laughed. "I have it in my contract that no one will ever hear me sing. No matter how much the writers or directors want it. If I got it to that extent, what makes you think I would do it for fun?"

She laughed. "I bet you sing nicely with that deep voice of yours," Kyoko stated in a soft whisper.

"Nope, completely tone deaf," he informed her making her laugh again.

"You liar. I bet you never even tried," she challenged him.

"Hmm," he sounded and laughed, "perhaps you are right."

Kyoko laughed merrily. "See! We should go to a karaoke bar and test out your singing. Maybe you can add that to your resume: Number 1 actor, model and singer," she said proudly as if she already knew that he could sing.

Ren laughed again. "No, I don't think so. If I did that, then I would never have time to do anything but work. Aren't you the one who always tells me I work too hard?"

"Yeah, you're right," she said defeated. "Though I would still like to hear you sing. It's only fair since you heard me sing."

"I'll tell you what," Ren started, "If you promise to keep it between the two of us, we'll go somewhere, and I'll sing for you after the movie is done. Okay?"

"Really?" Kyoko almost yelled out, "PROMISE! I Promise!" and then she laughed. "I bet..."

Hikaru really couldn't take anymore. A dull ache filled his chest at every laugh and smile being shared between the two of them. He couldn't see them, didn't know if what he was imagining was true, but their voices and the aura around them was too much.

Hikaru sat outside on his bike, hoping that the cool open air could help ease some of the tension in his chest. It was a few moments later that he saw the tall actor leave the studio and head to his car with his manager in tow. Hikaru stood up and took a single step towards him then was stopped forcefully when Ren disappeared behind the building. His whole body shook, radiating in emotions that had never stirred within him before: jealousy, rage, and pain.

Indescribable pain surged through him as he finally saw what was happening between Kyoko and himself and between Kyoko and Tsuruga. Though why she was with him and not the man she actually loved, he still didn't understand.

"Hikaru!" Kyoko's cheery voice rang out from the studio breaking his heart even more. _How much of this was an act?_

Hikaru took Kyoko straight to TBM Studios, stating that he wasn't feeling well and to eat at the cafeteria tonight. Kyoko quickly agreed.

"Yes, of course!" Kyoko exclaimed. "We'll go there and you can lay down in the dressing room until the show. Don't worry about dinner." He drove over to the studio, and Kyoko rushed him to the dressing room to rest.

"Do you want anything to eat? Maybe some miso soup or something light?" She asked with great concern. Hikaru lied still on the couch, his arm raised up resting on his forehead. He watched her, waiting for her face to slip up or some hint that told him that she was lying, faking the concern she had over him. There was nothing, she seemed sincere.

He shook his head. "No. I'm fine. Let me rest, and I'll be fine," he said softly and closed his eyes, moving his forearm over them. He heard her walk out, the door closing softly behind her, and he jerked his hand out and slammed his fist on the table next to him as tears stung his eyes.

Kyoko quietly headed out and started to make her way to the cafeteria. She was worried about Hikaru. When she touched his forehead, he turned away from her hand. Though even from that brief moment of contact, she could tell he wasn't feverish. All he said was that he didn't feel well, not that his stomach hurt or he was dizzy - simply not well. There was a little over an hour left until the show. She didn't want to disturb him if he wanted a nap, so she got her meal and took a table for herself. Her mind wondered, to Hikaru, the film today, back to Hikaru and then other random things. Yet, it always went back to Hikaru.

Once her meal was finished, she ordered him a bowl of miso soup anyway. She knocked lightly at the door, but wasn't expecting a response. Kyoko gently opened it and stepped inside. Hikaru was sound asleep, his back to the room probably trying to hide from the light. She smiled softly at him and set the bowl of food down on the table then left.

Hikaru was wide awake. Memories of her and their time together flipping through his head like a slide show. What was real? What was fake? Did she truly like him? Or did she date him out of pity? Asking the same girl out every week for a year, must have earned him some pity dates.

_Stop it, you know Kyoko isn't like that. _His heart chastised him. _She just doesn't... _A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and he grimaced. He knew it was Kyoko. Only Kyoko knew he was here and only she would think to knock as if she was intruding. Yuusei and Shin'ichi would come barging in talking loudly about something. Hikaru rolled over to his side away from the room and pretended to sleep as he heard her walk in. She was only there for a moment. When she was gone, he let out a deep sigh and peeked around him. There sitting on the table was the miso soup she asked if he wanted. His lips twitched almost smiling at the gesture, but he stopped himself. He picked himself up into a sitting position and looked at the styrofoam container.

"She has to feel something for me," he said determined and drank the soup.


	24. Things that you say

**A/N: Inspired by Jon McLaughlin - Things That You Say. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 24<p>

Kimagura Rock went on without a problem. Hikaru was able to get through it, clinging to his false hope. It was time to say goodbye with Hikaru and Kyoko heading off waving farewells to Shin'ichi and Yuusei.

"Kyoko, could you come over tonight?" Hikaru asked with a straight face making Kyoko frown.

"Are you still feeling bad? Do you want me to take care of you?" She asked innocently though his mind jumped to things not so innocent. He shook his head.

"It's only 8, so I was hoping to get back that hour I lost earlier," he lied smoothly. Kyoko smiled softly and touched his forehead again. This time he didn't pull away, and he still didn't feel abnormally warm.

"Are you sure you're okay? I don't want to bother you if you are still feeling ill," she replied.

"I'm alright. So will you come over?" He asked again.

"Sure, as long as it's not too late," she agreed. Both were rather quiet when they arrived at his little apartment. Kyoko was curious as to what they were going to do, and Hikaru was trying to sort his plan out in his head. Though he should know better as everything always end up differently with Kyoko.

"Would you like something to drink?" Hikaru asked politely.

"No, I'm fine," she answered as she sat down on his couch. He watched her for a moment. _My beautiful Kyoko. _ He thought idly. She sat so elegantly on his hand-me-down couch. Her ankles crossed, her knees held together with her hands clasped lightly on her lap. Her back was perfectly straight, granting her such grace. She turned to him, her slender neck moving her head towards him. She smiled softly up at him, her gold eyes filled with trust and curiosity. Hikaru moved forward, sat next to her and kissed her softly.

Again she stilled but only for a heartbeat. She pressed her lips against his, parted her lips slightly and kissed him back making his heart race. His hand shook as he moved it towards her. He lightly ran his fingertips up her arm, over her shoulder and cupped her neck. His left hand was gently placed at her hip with absolutely no pressure. He was barely touching her, so she could move away or push him away from her. She did neither, nor did she instigate anything further. She responded to his touch by allowing him to do so and kissed him back like she was supposed to.

"I love you," he whispered softly against her lips and then gave her the barest of kisses. He trailed his lips down her jaw to her neck, and Kyoko started to squirm. He squeezed her hip with his left, his thumb slipping under her shirt to touch the soft skin at her waist while his right sunk into her short auburn hair. She started to lean back, but Hikaru didn't let her go. He followed her down as he licked and kissed down her neck.

"Hikaru," she whined softly and gasped as he licked her collarbone. Her hands gently pushed at his shoulder, but he ignored it, instead interested in the little sensitive spot on her collarbone. He slipped his knee between her thighs as his left hand fully slipped under her shirt.

"Wait, Hikaru," she pleaded and pushed up against the couch trying to escape from underneath him.

"Why?" he whispered to her. "We're dating. I promise I won't go too far. I only want to touch you," his hand slowly slid over her ribs towards her breast, "taste you," his tongue licked that little spot again making her shiver. The tip of his fingers touched her bra and started to slip underneath making her gasp and shove his hand down, away from her.

"Don't you like it, Kyoko?" He asked as his plan backfired. He knew he couldn't do it. He took his hand from underneath her top. "My kisses? My touch? Do you like anything that I do? I love you so much. Do you love me at all? Even a little bit?"

"I..." Kyoko stuttered as she tried to crawl out from underneath him, but there was no room to move. He had her caged between his arms and legs and the armrest of the couch kept her from moving up. He was looking at her body, his hand slowly gliding down her ribs and over her stomach. He clenched his hand, taking her shirt into his tightening fist. "Hikaru, I..."

"Say it," he commanded. He released her blouse and placed his hand on the armrest behind her. He looked coldly into her eyes. "Say it. You are an actress, right? This should be easy. "I love you, Hikaru. You're the only one in my heart." Say it. If you want to play my girlfriend, then you should be able to lie to me and say it."

Outrage filled her but as the pain and anger washed off Hikaru and onto her, tears started to blur her sight. She opened her mouth to tell him that she did like him. That she truly did have feelings for him, but couldn't. She couldn't tell him that she loved him, because she never loved him. She closed her eyes and felt ashamed.

"I'll believe you," he offered softly. "Everything thing you said, the smiles and kisses. I thought they were true. I believed you this whole time. I thought I could continue, if tonight... tonight, you would lie like you've been doing, this one last night."

"Hikaru, I'm sorry," she sobbed softly. He sighed and pulled away. Kyoko immediately curled up into herself watching Hikaru carefully.

"I'm such a fool," he whispered. He tilted his head back and widened his eyes trying to keep the tears from falling. "After a year, I should have known better. It was too good to be true. I didn't want to question it. I wished and dreamed of being with you. To make you smile and laugh, never did I think it would all be an act," he finished coldly.

"It wasn't!" Kyoko cried out as she jerked forward towards him. "I do like you, Hikaru. I do! But I don't..."

"Love me," he finished for her. His sad brown eyes lowered to look at her. They were wet with pain and sorrow. The laughter that always shown in his eyes were gone. She stole that, took it away. Yet what hurt the most was even as he was looking at the woman who stomped his heart, he still looked at her like she was beautiful, still wanting her, desiring to be with her.

"Did you even try to love me?" He whispered. She could hear the hope in his voice, hear his wish that she was still the Kyoko he loved, and not some cold hearted actress she proved to be. Kyoko nodded as tears ran down her face.

"I wanted to be with someone who loved me," she confessed. "I thought I would learn to love them back. That I had gotten back that missing emotion, and I could learn to love again. Learn to love you." That was truth. She would have lived her entire life trying to learn to love him.

Hikaru laughed. "Love isn't something you get from a book. You know this. You can't help who you love. If you could, you wouldn't have gotten so hurt with Fuwa, and I," he paused and looked down away from her, "I wouldn't have gotten hurt with you," he whispered softly.

"Hikaru, I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to love you. Please give me a second chance," Kyoko pleaded, "I still like you very much. You make me laugh, and I enjoy being with you."

"But you don't desire me. I could never be with someone who doesn't want me, who doesn't want me the same way I want them. Kyoko, you flinch every time I touch you. You freeze up every time I kiss you. I don't really believe you want to even spend time with me," he said sincerely.

"I do!" Kyoko protested. She spent lots of time with him. _How could he say that?_

"When was the last time you called without a call from me first? When was the last time you asked me to go somewhere with you, a movie or even lunch? Kyoko, I asked, and you said yes like it was your duty."

"It's been very busy recently," she tried to reason, and he shook his head.

"Not so busy for you to invite Tsuruga to a private karaoke date," he said casually making Kyoko frown.

"How did you..." Her frown deepened. "Why do you always bring him up?"

"Because you love him," he stated bluntly. Kyoko opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "After everything that I've seen, I don't understand why you would come to me if you were in love with another man. You defend him by saying everyone is jealous of him because of his looks or fame. That's not it, Kyoko. I would have been jealous if you were in love with one of the Daruma-ya delivery boys. I never cared that it was Tsuruga Ren. I was jealous that someone else had all of your love, something that I had no hope of ever getting from you."

Kyoko couldn't speak. Her throat closed up and thousands of words flooded her mind but none of them could explain or tell him how sorry she was. She watched this man, who was bright and always smiling, crumble because of her selfishness. She tried to conquer her fear, taking advantage of his love knowing that she wasn't ever going to give him the one thing that she wanted most with her mother, with Sho. Love. To know what it would feel like to be loved by someone for the first time in her life, and what did she do? She took it all, Hikaru's warmth and passion, and broke it.

Kyoko looked at him and saw herself over a year ago, being caring out by security declaring vengeance, and in her place was Sho. For everything that Hikaru saw her do, to lie to him, cheat him and make him, the only person to tell her he loved her, believe that he had a chance for a happily ever after, Kyoko was unquestionably the villain here. She was loathsome, wretched, the worst person on the planet and even words like "I'm sorry" didn't feel like enough.

"I'll take you home," Hikaru said softly.

"No," Kyoko quickly yelled. She stood up from her seat, her heart weeping at the pain she caused him. "I'll go to Kanae's. You.. You don't have to do anything more for me again," she spoke softly and started to make her way out. Hikaru caught her hand as she passed by making her look down at him.

"I really do love you, Kyoko. I could have made you happy," he said softly.

"I know," she murmured, "I'm sorry, that I couldn't do the same for you."

Kyoko left Hikaru's running. She didn't know if Kanae was home, or if she would be welcomed, but she needed to leave. Self hatred, regret, and contempt filled her as she ran. The sun was at the end of it's sunset on this summer night, darkness surrounded her, embracing her like the vile creature she was. It took her only moments to reach Kanae's building, her legs and lungs burned as she forced herself away from her crime as fast as she could. She went inside and ran up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. She knocked furiously at Kanae's door and broke down crying at the closed door.

"I'm Sho!" Kyoko wailed the moment Kanae opened her door.

It took almost a hour before Kanae could get a comprehendible sentence from her weeping friend. She caught words like "Horrible, lies, Sho, die, fear and Hikaru." Something about Hikaru and being broken. Out of everything she heard, Kanae feared that Hikaru had died.

"So Hikaru broke up with you," Kanae repeated as Kyoko finally told her everything that happened. Kyoko nodded gently.

"I can't say that I didn't see it coming," Kanae said coolly. Kyoko jerked up in shock, wide, red, puffy eyes stayed transfixed on Kanae.

"Excuse me?" Kyoko asked. Kanae really didn't say what she thought she heard did she?

"The moment you told me that you started dating Ishibashi Hikaru, I knew it wouldn't end well," Kanae clarified, infuriating Kyoko.

"Well you could have told me," Kyoko bellowed and stood up angrily. "How dare you? Condemning us before either of us knew what would happen. What would you do if we actually got married?"

Kanae stood up and looked steadily into Kyoko's eyes. "I would help you plan your wedding, be your maid of honor and cry for you as you walked down the aisle to a marry a man you didn't love, all because of fear," she said softly as she gently took Kyoko's hands in hers.

Kyoko ripped her hands from hers and shoved Kanae back. "You don't know that! Hikaru's sweet, kind and loves me! Why can't I be with him? Why can't I be happy with him?" Kyoko screamed and collapsed to the floor weeping noisily.

Kanae took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She took a step towards her fallen friend and knelt down beside her. The moment her arm went around Kyoko, she threw herself into Kanae's arms.

"Shh, it's okay," Kanae murmured gently. After a few moments, Kanae pulled her up to look into her gold eyes, "Kyoko, if you want to be happy, you need to be truthful to yourself first. You know why all this happened. It's because you love someone else, right?"

Kyoko hesitated, her fear still trying to control her, but she nodded softly. Kanae smiled patiently and asked, "Who? Who do you love?"

"Ren," Kyoko said with a thick voice and more tears started to fall. "I love Ren," she repeated with a sob.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Kanae teased trying to make her smile, only it made Kyoko cry harder.

"But he doesn't love me," she cried, "I don't want to live my life trying to please someone who doesn't love me."

"When has he ever said that he doesn't love you?" Kanae asked the obvious question.

And Kyoko gave the obvious answer, "There is no way that he could ever love me."

"Did you know that Hikaru loved you all this time? Before you started dating?" Kanae asked and Kyoko shook her head. Kanae nodded sharply once and continued, "and did you know that Sho didn't love you while you were in love with him?" Again, Kyoko replied by shaking her head. No, she thought the feeling was mutual.

"Then how do you know how Ren feels unless you heard him say those word already," Kanae paused to let out a sigh. "Kyoko, I'm not saying he does or doesn't love you, but to leave your mind open to the possibilities. We know you love him, so the next step is to tell him that and then to see what happens after."

Kyoko started to shake her head furiously. "I can't! There is no way I could tell him. Women are constantly telling him how much they love him. He could have anyone, Why would he choose me?"

"That," Kanae said with a smile, "is something you have to ask him, but don't assume you know the answer until you ask. Your track record in understand how men feel seems to be in the negatives," Kanae joked and actually made Kyoko laugh.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Tissue's anyone?**


	25. Depression

Chapter 25

Kyoko slept over that night if you can call what she did that night sleep. She closed her eyes and slipped in and out of consciousness until morning came. Even with the promise of a bright sunny day, she really didn't feel any better about everything that happened. She laid in bed, her thoughts jumping from one thing to another, from one man to another. _What is Hikaru doing? Is he alright? Will he ever forgive me? Will he ever talk to me again? _Kyoko stared off, looking at nothing in particular. She felt awful, sick to her stomach because of the atrocious things she did to Hikaru.

_Did Sho feel this bad after what he did to me? _She idly wondered then started to laugh, but stopped herself short. She twisted in the futon and looked over at Kanae, who was sound asleep. She allowed herself a quiet chuckle, knowing full well Sho didn't give a damn about her feelings. If he did, then he wouldn't have been so cruel to her.

_**So why were you so cruel to Hikaru? **_A dark voice spoke within her head making her scowl. Perhaps she truly didn't have a heart. No one with a heart could hurt someone like she did. This whole thing only confirmed that she would die alone, without love. She didn't deserve to be loved, not if she was simply going to abuse it. Maybe that's why no one loved her. They knew that they would only get hurt by her. That would be understandable. She never wanted to see that look of pain and loss on anyone's face again, especially if she was the one who caused it.

"It's better this way," Kyoko breathed to herself. The mere thought of Ren looking like that, heartbroken and in pain made her chest constrict painfully. He was already hurt because of that girl who was now dating someone else. If she was the one to cause that, she might die. As it was now, she couldn't forgive herself for Hikaru.

Kyoko felt tears start pooling in her eyes and shut them down quickly. She didn't want to cry anymore. She didn't feel like she should be allowed to repent for her sins. She needed to move and get her mind on other things. Since Kanae was still asleep, she decided to make breakfast for her as thanks. It was the first thing she could do to help make up for her breakdown last night. Kanae was absolutely the greatest friend Kyoko could ever have, and to have her as her very first true friend made it even better.

She knew that Kanae would want a light breakfast, something healthy with as little fat or carbs as possible; however, she also knew what a big appetite Kanae had and that she spoiled herself so little. Kyoko shouldn't have but did, rice, fried mackerel, clear soup and some pickled vegetables was created. Kanae woke up because of the delicious smell and glared angrily at Kyoko, making the cook smile.

"I hate you," Kanae grumbled but sat at the table as Kyoko served breakfast.

"You're welcome," Kyoko replied back pleased. Not much was said between the two. Kanae was too busy trying to stop herself from eating too much. _ It's such a simple meal, how dare she make it so delicious. _The fish was covered in flavor. The soup was hot and delicious. Even the rice tasted better than before. It was freaking white rice. Kyoko couldn't help but love every little grumble that Kanae voiced as she ate every single little bit of her breakfast, but her mind was still tormented to fully enjoy it.

"Moko-san," Kyoko called out softly.

"Hmm?" Kanae replied with a sound, her mouth too busy with the meal in front of her.

"How I do to make up with Hikaru?"

The question stopped Kanae cold. She froze mid bite and stared at her friend. "You want to get back together with him?" she asked astonished.

Kyoko pressed her lips together and almost said yes, but shook her head. "No, not really," she answered honestly. "But I don't want him hurting over me either."

"It's too late for that," Kanae said with brutal honesty. "Right now the only thing you can do is leave him alone. You remember what's it was like to have a broken heart. Seeing you try to cheer him up will only make things worse. He'll start getting a false hope if you try and regain his friendship. You try anything kind, and you'll only hurt him again. Unless you suddenly fell in love with him last night, leave him alone."

Kyoko sat silently thinking over her friend's advice. "So then I should quit being Bo?" she asked dejectedly.

"What? No," Kanae snapped. "Then you are avoiding him. There would be absolutely no hope at all in regaining him as a friend if you do that. Lest you want that. Then sure, quit Bo. No one knows it's you anyway, so you get no bonus by being Bo."

"I like being Bo," Kyoko replied softly.

"Ah, well don't quit," Kanae said casually, "Stick to business with Hikaru, and he will get over you." Kyoko sighed but agreed. Since she had no idea what to do with the situation, she would take Kanae's words to heart.

Kanae had to leave for a job shortly after breakfast, while Kyoko didn't have much planned today except for Tragic Marker. She was supposed to go to school, but with everything that's happened, school was the last thing on her mind. She went home instead, apologizing to her landlords about not coming home last night. They treated Kyoko with the respect she's earned but they were always very relieved when she came back safe.

She went upstairs, took a bath and changed clothes since she came home wearing yesterday's garments. Then, nothing. She had nothing to do, nor did she feel like doing anything. Her sour mood wasn't going to help out the restaurant downstairs, so she dare not try and help. She couldn't think of anything past her depression, so trying to do school work was out of the question. She had to wait till 4 today to go to Tragic Marker, and it was only 10am. With nothing coming to mind, she thought to dive into her scripts. The next scene she was doing was for Love's Rival. They were going to film the party scene on Sunday. Opening the script to that part, she started rereading her lines. A quarter of the way through, she gave up.

Kyoko huffed and fell back onto her back. She closed her eyes and Hikaru instantly appeared in her mind. His sad face, those hurtful words and Kyoko wanted to throw up. She rolled over to her hands and knees and took several deep breaths.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she tried to settle her stomach. "I'm so sorry," she told no one and as expected, she heard no forgiveness. Kyoko yearned to pickup her phone and call Hikaru. She wanted to hear his cheery voice and laughter. She wanted everything to go back to the way things were before all this happened. Before she ever fell in love with Ren. She twisted around, sitting down and found his smiling face on her wall.

"I hate you," she lied to his face. Her heart raced in her chest as she looked at his picture and grimaced. She cast her eyes down and hugged herself. "I love you," she said truthfully.

Kyoko left. She couldn't stay idle. She wasn't capable of acting, studying or even facing people, so she walked. Dressed in a large brim hat, white canvas shoes and a breezy sundress that she was futilely hoping would pick up her spirits, she set out to simply walk. She had no destination, no desire to go to a specific store or cafe to wallow in her woes. She just wanted to move, to people watch. It was Friday and almost everyone was at work or school, so the streets were mostly empty. She was living in one of the busier streets of Tokyo. The Daruma-ya shop choose a well populated area for their business. Their smart real estate location and good food helped them stay afloat in the competitive business.

She wondered up and down the streets, visiting shops she's never been to, and avoiding anything that looked threatening to a young 17 year old girl. She stayed clear of anything that might have people who knew her. She didn't want to talk, to fake a smile or laugh. To have someone she barely knew ask her what was wrong all because she was feeling horrible about herself. It was too personal a subject.

Three hours later, Kyoko found herself in front of a hotel. It was the hotel that Cain and Setsu used. She was about three hours early, but here she was. It was a nice hotel. Not a five star hotel, but definitely a four. She knew the place inside and out due to those late night "Need to escape the sleeping Ren" walks she often took early in the Dangerous Mission. She had walked it's floors and explored each of its amenities in such detail that she could replicate it. There was a very nice bakery in there, but she could never visit because it was never open when Setsu was walking around. When it was open, she never thought to go.

The things she knew about the bakery was it's name, Sugar and Spice, and that it was American influenced since it made cakes and sandwiches. The posters that covered the windows had pictures of cakes and she would often see a little dry erase board with their daily sandwich specials. She walked into the little shop with it mostly empty. She looked at their hours and at the time and found there were going to close at the end of the hour.

"Welcome to Sugar and Spice," a masculine voice greeted her kindly. "We don't have much to offer with our pastries, but if you came in to eat, I can make you anything you like," he stated.

Kyoko looked up, her gold eyes peeking under that large white floppy hat, and she smiled timidly at him. "Thank you," she replied politely and proceeded to look at what he still had for sale.

The mid-thirties man stood behind his counter stunned by the girl's beauty. Nishijima Atsuya was happily married to a wonderful woman, and they recently had their second child, but he was only human. He saw a wispy looking girl come in and thought nothing of it, but when those brilliant gold eyes looked up at him with that charming face and innocent look, he couldn't help but be in awe. She wasn't sexy, much too young for that, but simply beautiful in that untouchable way.

"Um, may I have the strawberry tart," Kyoko asked bringing Atsuya out of his thoughts.

"Yes," he quickly replied but didn't know what she had said. He looked at his counters and where she was standing. The tarts, but did she say strawberry or peach? Luckily there were two of each.

"Is there one in particular that you would like?" He asked hoping to not look like a fool in front of the pretty girl.

"They both look very good, but the one on the left," she stated and pointed at the strawberry. He smiled and nodded.

"To go or for here?" He asked as he brought the sweet out for her.

"Do I have time to eat it here?" she asked sweetly, but was concerned about the time. His smile widened as he grabbed a plate. She was as sweet as she was beautiful.

"By all means, please enjoy it here," he stated and handed her the plate with a fork. "Would you like something to drink with it? Coffee or perhaps tea?"

"Oh, I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee, please, with cream and sugar?" she asked.

"Please have a seat, and I'll bring it out to you," he offered. Kyoko sat at one of the back tables, as far from the door and the windows as she could. He found her solitude rather odd but would never question a customer. He served her a hot cup of coffee and set a tray down with her condiments. She gave another small smile and thanked him before he left. He would never think himself a pervert, but he couldn't help but watch the girl. She ate the dessert slowly and sipped her coffee elegantly. She was something, this girl. He never saw that kind of perfect posture in the other young girls her age, so to see something so regal in his little shop was fascinating.

He kept his voyeurism of the girl to a minimum, stealing glances here and there. She looked so alone. To anyone looking, they would say of course she is alone. Do you see her there with anyone? But that wasn't what he meant. She looked like she was completely alone. Again, she wasn't like the other girls, normally they would be on their phone talking to someone or thinking about something. Instead there was this dark aura around her that radiated sorrow. He saw the briefest of smiles when she took her first bite of the tart, but after that she was very still. Atsuya could tell she was lost in her thoughts, but they were not very good ones. She didn't seem worried but simply sad at something.

He was busy cleaning up the counters when she quietly stepped up to the register. He was well aware of her presence and turned to serve her immediately. He placed a yellow pastry box on the counter and rung her up.

"That will be 334 yen," he said. She took out four 100 yen coins and handed them over. He gave her the change along with the yellow box.

"What's this?" She asked with a little tilt of her head.

He smiled bashfully as he replied, "Excuse me for saying this, miss, but you looked like you needed something nice to happen today. Since I'm closing up shop and these would go to waste, I thought it would help brighten your day." He held them out, and she quickly shook her head.

"Oh, I couldn't. Not for free, please at least allow me to pay for them," she said and quickly opened her purse again for the money.

"No, please, allow me to treat a beautiful girl. I have to throw them away at the end of the day, I rather you take them and smile," he insisted. He was sure that someone would strike him dead for infidelity with the way his heart sped up with she smiled. She bowed down gracefully and returned with the most enchanting smile and a sweet blush.

"Thank you so very much." She took the box without opening it and left the man in a daze.

Kyoko went up to the room with a smile still on her face. She couldn't believe how nice that man was. She wondered what was in the box. If it was as good as the tart, then it would be a shame to throw them away. When she slipped into the room, she took a gander inside. There was another strawberry tart and then the two peach ones. She would definitely have to repay him by visiting once again.

Setting the box aside, she took in the quiet room. This place started to feel like a second home to her. Lovely and stressful memories filled every corner of the place. She walked into the living area, tossed her hat onto the bed and then followed it. The room was dark and cool compared to the hot, sunny day outside. With all the walking and emotional stress from they day, Kyoko fell asleep in an instant.

It was a little after three when Ren came in to find an angel sleeping in the dim hotel room. He was moments away from turning on the light when he caught sight of her. Kyoko was sleeping on her right side, fully dressed and over the blankets. Her short copper hair was sleep tussled with her dress hugging her thighs tightly. Not wanting to wake her up, he left the lights off and started to get comfortable. He slipped off his suit jacket and tie then sat on the other bed to watch her sleep.

She would hate him for this. The moment Ren saw her, he should have woken her up even if she was sleeping so soundly. He rarely got to see her asleep and it always seemed like he had to catch her doing it, like it was something so horrible. When in reality, it was rather beautiful. Her soft breath coming in and out steadily from her little nose, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, her peaceful innocent face, all of it was mesmerizing to him. As if she could feel someone watching her, she twisted in her sleep. She moved onto to her back and then away from him, her skirt starting to ride up her thighs. Ren was tempted to continue watching, to see how far up that skirt will go. _Is she wearing Setsu's panties or something more herself? What kind did she wear? _He shook his head at himself, stood up and turned on the light, trying to look like he just walked in.

"Mogami-san," he called out to her pretending to be stunned but she didn't stir. He smiled. He walked over to the side she was facing, squatted down and tried again, "Mogami-san."

"Hmm," she hummed in reply, not really awake yet.

"Mogami-san, I'm home," he said cheekily.

A smile spread across her lips but her eyes were still closed. "Welcome home," she greeted back as she stared to stretch from her nap. He watched her wake up slowly, her eyes cracked open slightly and her smile widened at his blurry shape. Her hands stretched out as if they were reaching for him which stunned Ren. He looked at her hands wondering what he should do. Should he take them? He desperately wanted to. His hand was half way up to meet with hers when she finally woke up.

"Tsuruga-san?" She made it sound like a question, like she was asking if she was still asleep. He let his hand drop back down, but he smiled at her.

"Good morning," he teased as Kyoko jerked up from the bed looking around wildly.

"I..." she scrambled away from him, as if he was some sort of snake that was going to attack her. He smiled sadly for a moment and then stood up as she collected herself. "I fell asleep! What time is it? Did you just get in? Are we late?" she exclaimed as she burst out of bed in a frenzy.

Ren laughed softly. "It's 3:15, Mogami-san. Yes, I arrived just now and found you asleep. We are not late, and I didn't want to be so I woke you up. I'm sorry."

"No," she declared. "No, that was the right thing to do! I'm very happy you woke me up. I'm so sorry you had to do that." She bowed down as if she committed some horrible crime.

"No harm done. Did you have a nice nap?" He asked sincerely and was greeted with a little blush.

"Yes, actually. Though it wasn't my intention to fall asleep," she admitted.

"What time did you come in?" Ren only now thought of that. She had to have come in early if she had enough time to fall that deeply into sleep.

"Oh, um," she had to think about it, "A little bit before 2. Today was a rather uneventful day, so I came in early." That was the truth, yet, it wasn't since her mind was buzzing constantly with all sorts of things. The day was really exhausting actually. Ren found her tone odd. The more he watched her, the more she seemed different, older somehow.

"Is everything alright, Mogami-san?" He questioned curiously.

"Eh? Uh, yes! Everything is fine. W...why do you ask?" she stuttered.

Ren shook his head. "You seem different," he told her his thoughts. He looked at her, all of her. She was standing straight like usual but seemed nervous. Like she didn't want him to find something out. He started to frown, and then things started to come together. His frown disappeared as he put his mask on. _Different, older. Mature. Sex. She slept with him. _ Why else would she be so nervous? Why else would she look so mature all of a sudden? She's probably embarrassed about it, still unsure if what she did was okay.

_**Then why did you do it!**_He wanted to scream, to rant, but instead closed down.

"We should probably get changed," Ren suggested wanting something to distract him from his thoughts.

"Ah, yes. Of course!" Kyoko quickly walked to the dresser and got her unmentionables and then moved to the closet. He watched her move, trying to notice something different about her. She would be hurting if she had sex recently. Her movements wouldn't be smooth, wouldn't flow like water like they were doing now.

_Maybe I'm wrong, _Ren hoped. Kyoko turned around with Setsu's clothes to find him watching her intently. She blushed slightly and turned away from his intense expression. Her eyes caught the little yellow box, and she smiled brightly.

"Oh, Tsuruga-san," she spoke out suddenly, "I went to that little bakery downstairs before I came up. They were actually open and the gentlemen behind the counter gave me this," she stated as she walked over to the counter reaching for the long narrow box. Ren frowned. _Gave her? As in for free? What kind of business gives away their product? _

"They were closing so he told me that he would have to throw them away. I tried to pay but he was rather persistent," Kyoko explained as she carted them over. "They are mildly sweet, but um, perhaps you would like one?" she asked shyly. Ren looked inside finding the three tarts.

"I'm not really hungry at the moment, Mogami-san, but perhaps later," he responded rather coldly.

"Ah, yes, of course," she said with a fake smile. She nodded and closed up the box. "Later then," she repeated and gestured to the bathroom. She was going to change first. Ren groaned and plopped on the bed the moment the door closed.

"Jealous much?" Ren asked himself. _**Some strange, probably old, man gives her something he was going to throw away probably because she was the last customer and you get jealous**_**. **_**Real smooth, Ren. **_

"Shut up!" he growled at the annoying inner voice. Ren stood up and went to the box. He looked inside and picked up the peach tart and took a bite. He really wasn't hungry. It wasn't his cup of tea either, but the fact that she offered it, he felt obligated to try it. She was right, it was only slightly sweet, filling was creamy with only the peaches and glaze at the top making it sweet. He put it back and licked his fingers. When Setsu came out, Ren was ready to step into the bathroom and become Cain.

When Setsu and Cain were in control, nothing seemed out of place. Filming continued for Tragic Marker, though it was starting to come to an end. They had most of tomorrow scheduled for more shooting so tonight was rather short. They were in a tight schedule.

"Tomorrow, we will be finishing off the simpler scenes. After that we will work on the more difficult stunts. The days will be longer now, please be aware of the time changes. We will be starting early morning from here on till the end. Great job everyone!" Director Konoe announced once the night's filming were over.

It was a little after 11:30 when they arrived at the hotel. It was early enough to take her home, so Ren picked out some casual clothes to change into rather then getting ready for bed. He gave Kyoko the shower first and waited patiently for her to finish so he could go in. His gentlemen like ways proved to be rewarding, since Kyoko - not Setsu - came out ready for bed. How did he know it was Kyoko? She wasn't wearing one of his shirts. Setsu always wore his shirts to bed, this time Kyoko was wearing a camisole with a pair of mismatched shorts.

Ren couldn't help the stupid look of surprise on his face. He licked his lips and tried to composed himself. "You want to stay here tonight?"

Kyoko blushed and nodded softly. "Is that alright with you?" She asked timidly, while screaming at herself in her head, _UGH! Stupid Kyoko! Maybe he wanted to sleep in his own bed. It's early! _Comparatively speaking. _There is plenty of time to go home. STUPID! STUPID!_

"No, it's fine," he said quietly. Kyoko watched him get up, put away the pile of clothes he was going to wear, and trade down for a pair of cotton pajama pants. He didn't look at her as he walked past and into the bathroom.

_I should have come out as Setsu! _Kyoko screamed in her head as she threw herself onto her bed. "It's too suspicious," she mumbled out loud. All this time, she had to be Setsu in order to spend any time with him. If there was a chance to go home, she had to do it so Hikaru wouldn't get upset. Now that he wasn't in the picture, she could be herself around Ren, could divulge in her own desires to be with him as herself.

"I'm awful," she groaned as she curled up in the fetal position. The moment she wasn't tied down to Hikaru, she started her stupid love sick ways again. Here she was acting like a silly school girl with her crush and somewhere out there Hikaru was in pain all because of her. _Evil, vile, disgusting woman. _She beat herself up, closing herself off to the world.

Ren stepped out and found her like that, curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees and her eyes tightly shut. He frowned worried about her.

"Mogami-san?" he called out but she didn't budge. He sat down on her bed making it dip thus making her move. Kyoko jerked up at the sudden movement beside her. She looked over at Ren then quickly looked away. _Shirt! Put on a shirt! _

"You're done? Already?" she asked nervously and looked at the clock. Twenty five minutes already passed. She started to blush having been caught at her self oppression. Then without warning, she felt Ren's hand come up to her face. She blinked as his large hand touched her forehead then slide down to her the back of her neck.

"You don't feel feverish," he stated frankly, "Are you feeling ill?"

If she wasn't feeling warm then, she definitely was now. "I'm fine," she muttered, her eyes cast down, "You simply caught me in one of my dumb moments."

A soft short laugh came from Ren, prompting her to look up at him. That old smile was on his face, the one that blinded her, made her heart race and her face flush. She didn't realize how long it's been since she had seen that smile on his face until now.

"I'm happy that you are alright, Mogami-san," he said softly, "Good night."

"Goo...good night, Tsuruga-san," she said bashfully.


	26. Hope

Chapter 26

Morning came but they weren't due on the set of Tragic Marker till 1 in the afternoon. Kyoko woke up around 6:30. The nap from yesterday made for a short night, or would that be longer since she was stuck keeping quiet so Ren may sleep. Honestly, she really didn't mind. She was happy that she didn't have to hide anymore. It felt like she was freed as bad as that may sound, but she couldn't help the feelings she had. Which once again was a reason why she should have never dated Hikaru.

Kyoko couldn't help how she felt. She couldn't stop the world from spinning, and she couldn't stop her heart from moving on. She glanced over at the sleeping form next to her and smiled softly. The only thing she could do now was live with it and hope that her heart would continue to move forward - passed Sho, passed Hikaru and passed Ren to a mutual relationship with someone.

She quietly got up, did her morning routine and started making a pot of coffee. Kyoko wanted to make breakfast, but that little pastry box was asking to be emptied. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, she heard rustling from around the corner. She knew Ren was awake, he always woke up shortly after her. Even as Cain, Ren was awake, just pretending to be asleep.

"Good morning," he said with a thick voice. Kyoko turned around to reply and was once again greeted with a stunning vision of shirtless Ren. _Ugh, what a playboy. _She looked down and tried to focus on making her coffee. She lifted it up and hid her smile and gaze with her coffee cup.

"Good morning," she whispered behind her cup. She walked around the little countertop right as he walked through as well. They both side stepped each other, their bodies only inches away from each other. Heat burned up to her face as she looked at his bare chest, and oh how wonderful he smelled - better than any cup of coffee. She picked up the yellow box and almost ran to the table, away from the handsome sight next to her.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked as he came back with a mug in hand. Kyoko pressed her lips together as he started walking closer. _Did he have no sense of modesty? _No, of course not, he's a model. She knew how little modesty he had.

"I'm not sick, Tsuruga-san," she told him again as she tried to keep her eyes down.

"Are you sure? You look a little flush," he observed as he sat down next to her.

_Well, duh! _Kyoko wanted to scream. She coughed to clear her throat and asked, "Are you acting as Cain right now?"

Her question confused him. He responded from Tsuruga, didn't he? Wasn't it obvious that he wasn't? "No," he answered, "Why do..."

"Um, then could..." she flushed and darted her eyes towards him and then back down, "could you please put something on?"

Ren looked at her, then back down at himself and finally smiled in understanding. "I'm sorry, Mogami-san. I sometimes forget myself." He set his mug down and got up to put on a shirt. He should change for the day, but he didn't want his coffee to get cold.

"Yeah, and it always seems like it's around me," she grumbled behind him making him still for a moment.

"Oh?" He turned giving her a cocky smile. "You think I'm doing this on purpose?" he asked as he walked back to her, his shirt in his hand instead of on him.

"Perhaps," she said defiantly with her eyes closed and face turned away from him.

"Mogami-san," Ren whispered huskily to her. Kyoko felt a shiver run through her as she felt his presence next to her. The chair creaked under his weight and his hand appeared on the arm rest across from him. She blinked down looking at his hand and her heart started to race remembering the last time he pinned her to a chair. She looked up at his handsome face and couldn't breath.

"If I was going to seduce you, you would know," he whispered softly making her look away as her face burned a deep crimson red. He chuckled softly and moved away. Kyoko pouted angrily and watched him put his shirt on through a slit of her eyelids.

"You're so mean to me," she mumbled. Ren simply laughed as he took his place back in his seat. _It's because you become so cute when you are flustered like that. _ He watched her for a moment. She was looking down at the mug in her hands with cherry cheeks and a coy smile. The desire to touch her, to take her in his arms coursed through him, and he quickly had to change the subject.

"It's been a while since we had breakfast together," he mentioned casually and then wanted to take back his words. _Great topic, Ren. _ Still, the damage was done, and he went with it. He pulled over the little box and pulled out the peach tart he took a bite of from before and started eating it.

"Uh, yeah," Kyoko agreed quietly. "Things have been rather interesting, haven't they," she replied softly. Ren stopped eating and looked at Kyoko. Her tone was soft and forlorn and her expression matched. She was staring off again, lost in her thoughts. He frowned as he watched her, her eyes started to shine with unshed tears, and her brow furrowed deeply.

"Mogami-san," he called out to her and touched her arm gently. She took a sharp intake of breath and twisted towards Ren. She smiled sadly at him and then looked down.

"We should eat, huh," Kyoko quickly switched her expressions and attitude like a light. She smiled at him and reached for the pastries and pulled out the other peach one. "Is it good? I had the strawberry one yesterday. I hope they still taste alright," she commented and took a bite of the peach tart. "Oh, it's good!"

Ren scooted up in his seat and forced her to look at him. "Mogami-san, what's wrong?" he asked bluntly. A flash of fear and then pain crossed her eyes, but she quickly hid it like the expert actress that she was.

"Nothing is wrong," she quickly countered with a nervous laugh. "I was thinking the exact same thing when you mentioned breakfast," she replied as she pulled her legs in with her on the chair. She took lifted the tart to her lips and paused to speak, "When was the last time we had breakfast like this. All the days are starting to blur, aren't they?" She smiled and took a bite of the tart.

Ren stood up with a suspicious glare and stepped up in front of her. Kyoko gulped the food in her mouth and looked up at the obscenely tall man in front of her. "Tsuruga-san?" she breathed worried. He didn't say anything, but squatted down in front of her. She pulled her feet closer to herself as she watched him move down to her level. "Tsuruga-san, what are you doing?"

"Tell me," he commanded making Kyoko flinch. She licked her lips and shook her head.

"Tell you what? Tsuruga-san, you're being weird," Kyoko tried to dodge his questions but then she looked into those big brown eyes of his. His face held such concern, and a waiting warmth as if he was going to accept whatever she told him. If he only knew the truth about his little kohai, he would never be concerned with such a cruel person.

She sighed and set the partially eaten tart on the rim of her coffee mug. She stared at the pretty confection rather than look at the man in front of her. Kyoko let her emotions cover her face, the sad depression of what she did filled her eyes.

"Hikaru and I broke up," she said softly. A deep sigh came from Ren and his hand appeared in front of her vision as he took her coffee and sweet away. He twisted and set the cup down then turned back to her. She watched him gently take both of her hands and envelope them in his, and then rest them in her lap.

"What happened?" he asked gently. Her heart warmed as if the warmth from his hands touched it intimately. _This, this is what happened. I couldn't do this with him. To touch and be touched so casually. Do you have any idea how much this little contact makes my heart race? How your smile can brighten up my day? How your simple presence gives my life new meaning?_ Tears started to cloud her eyes, but she dare not let them fall. It took her a moment, a moment to try and figure out a way of telling him what happened without revealing too much.

"Cer...," Kyoko's voice came out hoarse. She coughed and started over, "Certain unavoidable issues arose, and he..." she pressed her lips together trying to find the words, "no, I," she clarified, "I basically wasn't there for him." She nodded once and slipped her hands from within his.

Ren frowned. "You were working," he defended her. "You are a rising star, and this is a very time consuming business. He should know that. He's a talent himself. What was he expecting you to do? Stop following your dream?" The more he spoke, the angrier he got, and Kyoko definitely noticed.

"No, he never said anything of the sort," Kyoko quickly retorted. She looked down sadly and then gave him a weak smile. "Who wants a girlfriend who is too busy with her work to have a date, right?"

"Someone who loves you," he lashed out and abruptly stood up. "He has some nerve. First he makes things so difficult for you this last month with inconvenient demands, comes onto set almost every day, and he still has the audacity to hurt you like this. Does he even realize how hard it was for you to get this point?" Ren was ranting as he paced around the room.

Kyoko shook her head. _No, that's not what happened. _"Please don't blame Hikaru. It really wasn't his fault. It's mine," she tried to convince him, without having to say the real reason they broke up.

Ren unexpectedly stopped in his tracks and came back over to her. Her eyes widened as he knelt down in front of her and again took her hands. "No, it's not," he stated adamantly. "It is not your fault. This is not your fault, Kyoko."

_He said my name - my first name! _Kyoko looked down embarrassed making Ren think that she didn't believe him. "When will you stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control? Kyoko, if things ended with Ishibashi-san, then they were never meant to be. You can't blame yourself for fate's interventions."

Kyoko suddenly laughed. "You believe in fate, Tsuruga-san?"

Ren blushed due to the childishness of that statement but went with it. "Yes, I suppose I do," he confirmed with a timid little smile. He looked up at her and thought, _Yes, I definitely do. _

"Then fate is undeniably cruel," Kyoko said darkly.

"It can be yes," he said thoughtfully causing Kyoko to look at him again curiously. What does this man have to be so upset about? His life was perfect. "But it can also give you gifts that you never knew were so very special," he said with a kind smile. "For instance, your break-up with Fuwa." Kyoko looked at him unbelievably.

"Would you have found acting if it wasn't for him? Isn't acting your passion now?" He asked daring her to deny it.

"I much rather have found it through a school play or something like that," she grumbled. Ren laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, okay. That would have been nicer, but you can't stay angry at them for long. It brought you here, to this very room with your debut movie almost completed and much more to come, I'm sure of it. Can you really argue with that?"

Kyoko stayed silent as she looked at him. _Fate brought me here. _She moved her hand that was still hidden within his and gently tickled his palm. Her heart grew heavy as she thought about it. _Fate brought me here, to be tortured by introducing me to the most wonderful man I have ever met and not giving me even the smallest chance at happiness with him. _However, that detail was not what Ren asked.

"Yes, I'm happy that I am able to find myself, to be able to do things that were unimaginable two years ago," she said with a small smile.

He smiled softly at her and squeezed her hands. "Everything will work out for you, I know it will," Ren reassured her.

"I wish I had your confidence, Tsuruga-san," she spoke softly as her hand absentmindedly touched his. "How can you be so sure?"

"I can't," he admitted making her snort. "But I have hope. I will work hard to achieve my goals," he spoke as he started to rub her hands with his thumbs, "to overcome my past, and to live happily with those I love." He picked up her hands and placed them before his mouth. Her heart jumped to her throat wondering if he was going to kiss them. He weaved his fingers with hers and she felt his lips on her skin, but no kiss. Instead he gripped her hands and stood up, bringing her up with him.

"Come on," he said in a playful voice and started heading to the door.

"Wait, where are we going?" She asked confused by this sudden burst.

"Out, away from here and into some fresh air," he declared making Kyoko smile and then laugh.

"In your pajamas?" Kyoko pointed out making him blush.

'"Oh, yeah, give me a moment," he said with a little laugh and dropped her hand to change. Kyoko couldn't help the smile on her face as she busied herself cleaning up their half eaten breakfast. She reached out for the cup and looked at her hand. Her face softened endearingly thinking about his warm hands holding hers.

"Hope?" she spoke softly as she caressed her hand. "Dare I hope for such a thing?" she asked the fates. Hopefully, they are in a good mood when it's time to read her heart's desire.


	27. Party

Chapter 27

_Sunday late afternoon..._

Tonight promised to be an enchanting evening for those on Love's Rival. An evening not unlike that of the Dark Moon party. However, this one was a little more staged. Okay, it's completely staged, but they were at another offstage site. Still, when Kyoko arrived on location, she thought she stepped into a fairy tale ballroom.

The whole place was illuminated with candlelight type chandeliers and sconces. Beautiful ivory curtains dressed the tall windows that lined up the walls. There was a stage at the end of the room with a baby grand piano and half a dozen chairs for the mini orchestra. Most of the music will be provided by the pianist. To the left side was a table for the banquet for all the party guests, which will be eaten by the cast and crew later. Next was a large open place for dancing and then finally the dinning area, where each table had six place settings and a gorgeous blue lotus flower centerpiece.

Kyoko had to take a closer look at the centerpiece. It was so ethereal that it couldn't be real. The flower was sitting in a very shallow pool of water that seemed to be glowing from underneath. She stepped up to one of the tables and tentatively reached out her hand to touch it.

"They really went all out didn't they?" Ren's voice came out of nowhere making Kyoko yank her hand back in fear of getting yelled at. She turned to the tall man who was taking in all the hard work of the crew and smiled.

"They did. It's magical," Kyoko replied in awe as she looked around again. Ren turned to Kyoko again and smiled softly. Her eyes were all aglow as she looked around the room. He really missed seeing her like this. Her mind going off in some fairytale dream with her expressional face. From the looks of it, she was probably picturing all of the lords and ladies of a kingdom gathering here to pay respects to the royal family. The funny thing is that tonight, she would be considered the princess, since this was technically her family's party.

_And I get to be her prince, _Ren thought happily. _Well Aika's, _he corrected himself. He hardly ever got to see the real Kyoko. He was able to see her almost everyday, but she was never Kyoko. He missed talking to her, seeing her smile and hearing her laugh. He could make Setsu laugh, but it was always contained and quiet. Setsu's smiles were small with a dark undertone even towards her brother. Kenta's character wasn't funny, though Aika did laugh, more at him then with him. Aika's smiles were more like Kyoko's, but were never the same. He missed her - all of her.

He smiled down at her without her knowledge. That was a thing of the past now, or so he believed. He must admit that Saturday morning was a delightful surprise. He was pleased to have her spend the night, and ecstatic that she was going to have breakfast with him that very next morning, but to find out she was no longer dating Hikaru was a dream. He hoped that he was able to stop the irreparable damage that breakup could have caused. Enforcing that it wasn't her fault and then distracting her with a real breakfast and then taking her into random places. He had her smiling and laughing like herself the whole time. _As long as she doesn't revert back,_ he prayed.

"I'm nervous about the dancing," Kyoko confessed softly bringing him back to the present. The two of them started walking off towards the dressing trailers. There were two of them, one for the men and the other for the women. Today would be rather busy for the costume and make-up crew as they had to get all the extras ready for the filming.

"Why? You did well during practice," Ren tried to soothe her woes.

"That's because you were leading. This time I have to lead since Kenta doesn't know how to dance. By they way," Kyoko looked up at Ren suspiciously, "Are you going to be able to not know how to dance? Slow dancing seems so natural for you."

Ren's smile widened. "Why thank you, Mogami-san, but I believe it was because of my partner that allowed me to be so graceful," he said genuinely. It was easy slow dancing with Kyoko. Wrapping his arms around her petite form and then moving her body to the soft music, there was no thinking required. Still, the production company scheduled three half hour dancing lessons for everyone to make sure this scene went well. Ren didn't need a single one. Kyoko had it down by the first. Yet they both went to all three lessons - just in case.

"Playboy," she mumbled softly with a blush adorning her cheeks. They parted to their respective trailers. Even though they were the stars, they still had to wait their turn to get dressed. It was almost dusk when things started to come together. The ballroom started to fill in with dozens of formally dressed extras and the film crew with all their equipment. Then the two stars of the film appeared.

Ren stepped out of the trailer and tucked down his sleeve. While his character couldn't afford it, this suit was perfectly tailored to Ren's body. A stark black tux covered his sleek form with a white vest and shirt with a black bow tie. It was fairly simple compared to what Tsuruga Ren would wear, but it was classic, and he still made it look good. The only thing that was truly different was the pair of glasses Kenta wore. Somehow, it made Ren look older, but no less suave.

He was definitely use to the looks he received when he entered the room; however, when nothing happened this time around, Ren really couldn't blame them. In the center of the room stood a vision of unearthly beauty. She was surrounded by a group of people, like moths to the flame, people revolved around her, and he was no different. Thankfully as he approached, people started to fade away, whether it was true or it was all in his mind, he didn't know, but all he saw was Kyoko.

Aika's long black hair was pinned up in curls behind Kyoko's head, leaving her face completely unmarred for everyone to see. Flawless make-up colored her face. Her lips were a dark red with a tint of pink, gold eyes sparked while being surrounded by smoky grey shadows. She looked up at him and Ren wondered if the flush on her cheeks was make-up or the real McCoy, because truthfully, that dress sort of made him want to blush. A full length black dress fell over her subtle curves making her pale skin stand out asking to be touched. It was sleeveless with a draped V-neck that fell loosely over her breast. The straps going over her shoulders curved around her collarbone and was studded with shiny silver studs running from the top of her shoulders to the back, where a racerback strap went all the way down to the small of her back. The dress was extremely mature, and Kyoko made it extremely sexy. The silver studs on the racerback strap caught the light and drew everyone's eye to her back and the lack of things that should be there, like fabric or a bra. The design showed off her flawless back as well as the side of her ribs, the delicate curve of her shoulder and her graceful arms. Ren wanted nothing more then to slide his hand up her back, over her ribs and cup her breasts that were hiding so freely under that black cloth.

"You look very nice, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said softly making Ren blink as he tried to get his mind to function again.

"You're so," Ren spoke so softly that no one heard him start to speak.

"Tsuruga-san, you look so handsome!" Rei exclaimed, speaking over his next few words.

Kyoko watched the crowd turn from her to her handsome costar. She was relieved, since the moment she put on the dress she felt like she was being looked at - even in the trailer! To have someone else in the room be more distracting than her in this embarrassing dress was wonderful; however, she still felt like someone was watching her intently. It sent shivers down her back and often made her squirm uncomfortably.

Everything was ready for the party scene and everyone had to take their places. Kyoko went outside, where the scene will start with Ren following closely behind. Too close actually. When she stopped, he almost ran into her.

"Tsuruga-san, is something the matter?" She asked as she peered up with him almost completely against her back.

"No, not at all," he quickly replied with that gentlemanly smile. He placed his hands on her bare shoulder and urged her forward, "We are needed, Mogami-san." A shiver ran down her spine as she stepped forward and his hands glided down her arms. They walked down the path away from the exit and turned around. Ren offered her his arm, and she took it without hesitation.

**They walked towards the entrance quickly until Aika swerved and twisted them around to start walking back to the car. **

**"Whoa," Kenta was pushed back by his girlfriend's sudden direction changed and stopped her cold. "Where are you going?" **

**"Home, let's go home," she stated and then stepped up to him. "Kenta," she said seductively, "wouldn't you rather take me to your place?" Aika slipped her hand under his tux jacket and slowly slid it up his chest. His eyes closed at the feel of her, pressing her body against his, her hand moving up his pecs and around his shoulder. She stepped in again, wrapping her arms around his neck. **

**"Would you like to know what I'm wearing under this dress?" she whispered with her lips almost pressed against his. **

**"Aika-chan, you invited me to this event," he said as he pulled her arms from around his neck. He took a step back and held her shoulders away from him as he spoke, "Isn't this your father's birthday? You know you would hate yourself if you didn't attend." **

**"No, I won't," she whined with a cute little pout. **

**"Yeah, you will," he amended and took her into his arms. She sighed into the embraced and melted against him. **

**"You know," she started and pulled back to look at him. "Once we go in there, things are going to be..." Aika hesitated, "different. They are going to be snide and cruel. Hideo will probably be there beside my father. Daddy won't..."**

**"I know. He doesn't approve of me," Kenta murmured. Aika only nodded sadly. He raised his hand and took her chin, forcing her to look up at him once more. "Do you approve of me?" **

**"Kenta," she breathed and looked up at him. He was smart, funny and stirred something inside of her that no one has ever touched before. Even her old lover didn't make her feel this way, not the way he made her feel. She licked her lips and three little words slipped passed her lips. **

**"I love you," she said with a flush to her cheeks. It was the first time she said it, that either of them even mentioned the word. **

**Kenta coughed. "That's not what I was expecting," he whispered softly. **

**"I know," she spoke softly and took a timid step back frightened. "Um, it just sort of slipped out, you don't have to say it back or in fact, you could forget about the whole... hmmm." Kenta kissed her. He pulled her in during her fidgeting rant and stole her words with his lips. His arms encircled her tiny waist, and she moaned softly as he kissed her lips softly. She was breathless when he pulled away. **

**"I love you too," he whispered softly with his hand lightly caressing her cheek. She blinked several times as her mind processed his words and then smiled radiantly. She nodded and took a step back, once again taking his arm and facing the building.**

**"Then it's settled. I'm with you through thick and thin," Aika said with conviction. "They were going to disown me anyway. I rather it be because of love then a job." **

**"Thanks, I think." **

**The two entered the hall arm in arm. Everyone didn't immediately turn and look at them, but those closest to the entrance. Everyone recognized her of course. She was the daughter of Miyamoto Industries and certain social etiquettes had to be obeyed. It wasn't very long before someone stepped up to her, and Aika changed before Kenta's eyes. **

**CEOs, CFOs, presidents, vice presidents, lawyers, stockholders and every other single business official came up and greeted Aika. In turn, she smiled, laughed and asked about each of their personal and business affairs like a pro. It was insane how well she knew each and every single their names and hobbies. It was about two hours into the party when they finally had a break. A waiter came by with a tray of champagne. Aika quickly took one and downed it in a single swallow then took another to sip slowly. Kenta was still nursing his first. **

**"Are you okay?" Kenta asked troubled. **

**She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. I'm tired, that's all," she affirmed taking another sip of the gold champagne. Then she remembered Kenta and started to fret. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Kenta. You are probably bored out of your mind. I don't think anyone's said a single word to you all night."**

**"That's not true. Everyone said hello to me when you introduce me. Some even asked me what firm I wanted to join," he stated encouragingly. **

**Aika smiled. "That's true. Though I have to confess. When I saw some take an interest in you, I sort of steered you away rather quickly."**

**"You did? Why? Maybe I could have talked shop," he asked confused. **

**"Probably not. They were all women, and I didn't like them undressing you with their eyes," she said annoyed and took another long draw from her glass. **

**"My hero?" He jested making her smile. **

**"Would you like me to introduce you to some partners in a firm? That's where you want to go, right?" She offered. **

**Kenta really wanted to say yes, but then stopped short. He wanted to get into those companies on his own merits, not his girlfriend's. He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Lets put something in your stomach besides champagne." Aika laughed and let him drag her to the buffet table. **

**It was when they were seated when the shit hit the fan. **

**"Good evening, Aika," a monotone voice spoke behind her, making her Kenta-induced smile disappear. She twisted in her seat and looked up to find her fiancé, or the man her father wanted her to marry standing proudly behind her. **

**Aika slowly stood up and faced him. She bowed slightly and greeted him stiffly, "Good evening, Hideo. Are you enjoying yourself tonight?" She heard the chair behind her screech back and then Kenta's presence helped relax her. **

**Hideo's eyes flickered to the taller man behind her and then back at her. "I would be if you were beside me like you should, instead of by this other person," he stated bluntly, not even trying to hide the distain he held for the man behind her. **

**"That was rude. I'm not going to marry you. I'm sorry, Hideo, but I don't love you. What my father wants and what I want are completely different," Aika proclaimed. The words from her mouth sounded rehearsed, or was something that she had repeated may times over. **

**"If you will excuse me." Aika twisted and took Kenta's hand and started to leave the table. **

**"Aika," Hideo called out to her before she could escape. "Your father wishes to speak to you." That's why he came over in the first place, well that and to see her. **

**Aika didn't turn towards him, but simply glanced back with her peripherals. "I will see him later," she announced and continued walking, to Kenta's horror, the dance floor. She walked them to the middle of the floor, twirled around and placed herself into Kenta's awkward arms. **

**"The nerve of that arrogant prick," she cursed softly into Kenta's shoulder. Aika was already in position, her right hand holding his in the air with her left arm at his shoulder. It was Kenta that was trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. She instinctively helped him by placing his left hand at her waist, though he made adjustments so it was on the fabric of her dress instead of on her skin. It was when they started to move that he stumble. **

**"Ow," she yelped as Kenta stepped on her toes, snapping her out of her anger. She looked at her foot and then at her partner and almost laughed. **

**"I'm leaving," he huffed and started to walk away. **

**"No, wait. Please Kenta, stay," she pleaded with a little pout; however, when Kenta looked into her eyes, they were sparkling with laughter. **

**"I told you I couldn't dance," he grumbled under his breath as she brought him back into her arms. **

**"I bet I could teach you, if you are willing to learn," she challenged. He glared at her and nodded. Soon, she had him dancing... sort of. About every fifth step, he would step on her foot, or bump into her. He was so stiff that she thought she was holding a surf board. **

It was utterly adorable. Never has Kyoko seen Tsuruga Ren act so clumsy in her life. Even when he made food, when he knew that he couldn't cook worth a damn, he did it confidently. The laughter and smiles coming from Aika were completely Kyoko as were the smiles of embarrassment from Ren. He stepped on her foot again and Kyoko jerked her foot back reflexively, but Ren had a good hold on her toes. Kyoko started to fall back due to her high heels. Panic filled her and then she was up in the air. Ren had quickly regained his suave self, caught Kyoko around the waist and lifted her up into his arms all within a breath.

"Cut!" Director Suzuki called out. "Are you okay, Kyoko-san?"

"Ah, yes," Kyoko said shyly and tapped Ren's shoulder, asking to be let down.

"Are you sure? I didn't hurt you, right?" Ren asked worried. She smiled and shook her head.

"I'm fine. Please put me down," she asked, and he obliged. His hands lingered at her shoulder for only a moment, though she wanted to follow that hand once it left.

"Alright," Director Suzuki walked up while talking, "We are going to start right in the middle of the two of you trying to dance, but that little fall was really good. I'd like to put that in; however, instead of Kenta picking her up, simply lean over and catch her," he explained. "Would you like me to demonstrate?" He asked and started to take a hold of Kyoko.

"Ah, no. I understand," Ren quickly stopped him from touching Kyoko. The director frowned very slightly and nodded with a quick smile. His eyes flickered over to Kyoko, giving her the once over and then walked away as he licked his lips. Ren's eyes narrowed slightly but eagerly turned to his partner. Kyoko turned towards him, her hands running over her dress as if it needed to be fixed. His eyes couldn't help but follow her hands and almost offered to do that for her.

"Ready?" she asked him and raised her arms for him to take his place. He smiled and slipped in easily.

"Always," he whispered and started to roll.

**Kenta was concentrating so hard on dancing, on trying not to step on her foot, that he kept doing it. Until his clumsiness almost did her in. He stepped on her foot and she jerked back, however she was pinned and started to fall back. **

**"Oh!" She squeaked and started to fall back. A look of shear panic filled him and he took a large step forward and caught Aika, freezing her in mid air. **

**"Are you alright?" he asked as he pulled her back upright. She nodded a little flushed over the little incident. She had never seen him move so quickly nor look so _good. _ She was falling one moment and then the next he was hovering above her, so very close to her with his extremely strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her effortlessly. **

**"Perhaps we should stop," she offered, and he quickly agreed. She was looking down, trying to control her heart, while maneuvering through the dancing couples. She was almost out when a husky older man stepped into her path. Aika stiffened the moment her father appeared in front of her. **

**"Were you going to ignore your father the entire night?" He asked her with a voice of unmatched authority. **

**"No, of course not, daddy," she said with a mousy voice. Kenta had to do a double take to see if this was the same girl that brought him. Aika took a tentative step to her father and gave him a brief hug. **

**"Daddy, this is Nakashima Kenta," she introduced her date, but Senior Miyamoto Hiro didn't even acknowledge him. **

**"Did you meet up with Hideo-kun? He was looking forward to seeing you tonight," Hiro mentioned in a not so subtle tone. **

**"Daddy, please don't do this," Aika pleaded softly. **

**"Do what?" he snapped, "Wonder why my only daughter is foolishly wasting her time trying to save the world when she has other responsibilities to the Miyamoto business. It's bad enough that you are out there gallivanting around in college, ignoring your duties and your fiancé, but to bring your _kept man_ to a respectably party is..."**

**"Kenta is not a kept man! You don't know anything about him. You won't even greet him properly. This isn't want you taught me, Father! Kenta is a wonderful man, intelligent, driven and he loves me," she lashed out, but Hiro only laughed. **

**"He loves your money, Aika," he stated as if it was obvious. "When will you grow up, Aika, he's only screwing you to get into your purse." **

**Aika gasped, completely dumbfounded by what her own father just said. She raised her hand and was about to slap her own father when Kenta stopped her. She looked up at him with wide teary eyes. He shook his head. **

**"See," Hiro laughed, "He doesn't want you to hit me, because he knows I'll cut you off and then he gains nothing." Aika growled and tried to jerk her still raised hand out of Kenta's grip to slap him. By now everyone was watching the scene, and her dear mother was standing off to the side watching. **

**"It's okay, Aika," Kenta whispered softly to her. "Don't take the things he says about me to heart. I don't care what he thinks of me." Aika took a breath to speak, to object but again he shook his head. He slowly put her hand down, and she let him. He gently pulled her in, his arm slipping around her waist as he looked directly at her father. **

**"What I do object to is the blatant disregard for your only daughter," Kenta stated with a glare to the older man, "She is not gallivanting around as you so put it. She is doing her very best, working herself to the bone to keep up with her studies of both law school and your business. If you were to open your eyes and truly see her for who she was, you would know this. You would know that she has the most innovated, brilliant mind. She can recite business law and the current financial status of any competitor you have. She remembers the names and ages of their families even if she hasn't met them, all the while keeping up with school. I love everything about her, except the fact that she has you as a father." **

**"Kenta," Aika spoke in awe and shock.**

**"We're leaving," he stated, and they started walking out. Everyone was quiet, staring at them and stepping out of their way. **

**"Aika," her father called out to her in a deep commanding voice. They stopped so she may turned towards him. "The agreement still stands. If you succeed, then I will agree to your decisions." He paused and looked at Kenta. "All of them," he added. Her eyes started to water and she quickly nodded. She turned back around, letting Kenta escort her out once again. **

**The moment the door closed behind them and they were outside, Aika broke down into tears. Kenta quickly took her into his arms to comfort her. She sniffed delicately and pushed away to look up at him. **

**"Kenta, that was really stupid," Aika started weeping, "He could ruin you, all of your chances of ever getting into a large firm. You don't know my father. He has no morals. He doesn't care about anyone that won't provide him with some sort of gain. He only married mom because she was the daughter of the Hitsugaya corporation. He only tolerates me, so I could seal the contract deal with Shiina Incorporated." **

**Kenta smiled softly. "Do you really believe that he doesn't love you? There is no way that he would have let you come to school or even accept this agreement of yours unless he loved you. Deep down you know this, that's why you are trying so hard to make it work," he said softly and then grimaced. "I do agree though. I believe I did say too much in there." **

**"Oh the contrary, I think you were wonderful in there," a seductive voice came out from the doorway. Both turned to find her mother walking down the steps.**

**"Mom," Aika said with a smile and rushed to her. They hugged with more emotion than she did her father which made Kenta smile. Aika turned and carted her mother towards Kenta who bowed down to her. **

**"Good evening, Miyamoto-san," he said politely with a deep bow. **

**"Oh, he's well mannered too. Please stand up, Nakashima-san," Miyamoto Sakura ordered politely. Kenta stood up to his full height making the older but beautiful woman look up at him. **

**"He's so tall, Aika," Sakura said pleased and stepped up to him, looking at his face. She reached up and took off his glasses. "And handsome too," she said with a intrigued smile. **

**"Mom, he can't see," Aika quickly took his glasses from her mother's hands and gave them back to Kenta. "Sorry," she whispered softly to him. When he slipped his glasses back on, Aika's mother was circling him like a tiger with a fresh meal. He blushed as he was obviously on display but held his ground. **

**"Smart, handsome, and he even stood up to your father. I approve," Sakura purred to her daughter making Aika smile. **

**"I knew you would like him, but not too much, right?" Aika said a little worried. **

**Sakura laughed. "Perhaps if he wasn't dating my daughter, I might." Kenta frowned and then blushed at the implications of what her mother said. She laughed. **

**"Oh, he blushed. How sweet. Is he a virgin?" Sakura asked suddenly. **

**"MOM!" Aika cried and stood in front of Kenta. "He..." she choked for a moment but finished, "That is none of your business."**

**"Aika, sweetie, you have been dating him for how long and still haven't slept with him?" She tsked making Aika blush. **

**"Okay, mom. We are leaving," she announced and quickly leaned in to hug the older woman. "I love you, and I'll see you soon." **

**"Yes, dear, please remember to visit. I never get to see you anymore." Her mother actually pouted. Her actions may seem silly, but anyone could see that she truly missed her daughter. "Alright, I better go in before your father blows another gasket." She turned to Kenta with a sexy smirk. "It's nice to finally meet you, Nakashima-san. Please don't be a stranger." She laughed as he blushed again and disappeared back into the hall. **

**"I'm so sorry. Mom is a little flirty. She won't touch you, but," Aika went silent thinking, "but don't be alone with her just in case, okay?" **

**"No problem," he assured her a little afraid of the older woman. He doubt he would come out alive after being alone with her. "I'm not a virgin, by the way," he stated frankly making Aika blush. **

**"Of course not," she agreed a little hesitantly. **

**He glowered down at her. "You don't believe me?" he asked incredibly. Aika quickly shook her head with a big smile. **

**"I do! You are too handsome to be one. I'm sure I'm not the only one that saw your charms. It's that you are a little innocent sometimes, so being a virgin might have been possible," she confessed as she started walking to the car. **

**"Hey," he called out to her, and she stopped to turn towards him. When she did, she gasped as he swung her into his arms. Her eyes met with his and it took her breath away. Heated brown eyes entranced her and he had a smirk so sexy it made her knees weak. His right arm was holding her to him, high up her shoulder, while his left gently touched her cheek. **

**"I'm not one for public displays of affection," he whispered, his eyes flickered to her lips as his thumb ran across it. "I'm prefer to do things in private," he continued in that deep sexy voice. His fingertips slowly started to run down her neck with his bedroom eyes following his every movement. "And we have yet to truly be alone for any real amount of time." By now Aika's breath was coming out shallow and fast. His fingers reached her collarbone and was going over the studded strap to her shoulder. They continued to her back, gliding ever so slowly down her shoulder blade. When his fingers disappeared behind her, his eyes returned to hers. **

**"Perhaps the next time we are alone, not studying, not preparing to leave for a date or class," his hand lightly caressed down the smooth expanse of her back making Aika tremble in his arm as he spoke, "I can show you what it is you do to me, Aika." Kenta then accentuated his point by slipping his hand under her dress at the small of her back and stroked his whole hand up her back under the strap making her moan at the strength and feel of him. Her hand flew up to her mouth in shock at the sound that came from her throat, and Kenta laughed with a deep sexy sound. **

**She hit him lightly on the shoulder for laughing but really couldn't blame him. Well she could blame him for one thing and that was for turning her on. The night was young though... Aika licked her lips and leaned forward, kissing him with all the passion that she was currently feeling. Kenta groaned softly into her mouth and his left hand stayed under her dress and moved to hold her closer to him. His left hand glided up the side of her body. The heat of his hand closing in on her...**

Kyoko freaked. She jerked away from Ren as quickly as she could and almost stumbled on the rocks on the ground. Ren quickly caught her hand and steadied her with a hand to her waist, and she again moved away.

"CUT!" Suzuki yelled out. "What happened!" he asked vexed.

Kyoko blushed in ten different shades of red. No way could she tell them that Tsuruga Ren just touched her breast. It felt like his arm was all way around her. She was kissing him, enjoying it immensely and then his hand was curled around her ribs and his finger tips knocked right into the underside of her left breast. She'll admit that it was only on the side, he couldn't have cupped her, but she felt movement! The tape that held the dress over her breast definitely tugged on her skin.

"Kyoko-san? Are you alright? What happened?" The director had come over and was now really concerned. She snapped out of her mortification right away and bowed down deeply.

"I'm so sorry! I ruined the scene. I..." she quickly had to make up a lie, "I felt something bite me so I jumped. I'm so sorry!"

"Something bit you? Ah, it's alright," he looked at her oddly. He lingered on her before finally turning around and walking back to the crew. "Let me see that take. Quick break!" He announced and ran to the filming truck.

"Mogami-san, is everything okay?" Ren asked with his hand raised up to touch her. Kyoko stepped back with a squeak.

"YES!" She practically yelled. "Something bit me. That's all," she lied again, horribly this time and scrambled away embarrassed.

Ren let himself cringe at his mistake. Oh, he knows exactly what happened. He started to lose himself with her in his arms again. Except this time, instead of giving her a hickey like some adolescent idiot, he copped a feel like some horny adolescent idiot. He really couldn't help himself! What man could restrain himself that much when the woman he loved was wearing something so... accessible, especially in a moment of passion. If they redo the scene, he will have to watch his wondering hands.

_**Yes, yes. let's redo the scene!**_His dark inner voice cheered making Ren frown but only on the outside.

They did not do a retake. It was pretty much over. The film would fade to black since it did not involve sex. The dialect and feelings of the two characters hinted at how the rest of the night would go for them, but they wouldn't film it. It wasn't that kind of film. Director Suzuki decided that they had enough footage of the kiss to fade out and called it for the day, much to Ren and his inner voice's disappointment.


	28. QnA

Chapter 28

Nothing was spoken about the "accident". Ren didn't want to bring it up since he really didn't know how to go about it.

_I'm sorry for trying to touch your breast. _

The problem was he wasn't really sorry. He was more sorry that he didn't get to touch her as much as he would have liked.

_Mogami-san, I know what really happened at the last scene today. I wanted to let you know it was never my intention to sexually assault you a second time. _

A second time. This wasn't his first mistake. Would she noticed the pattern if he started talking about it? Every time Kenta kissed her, truly kissed her, Ren... no Kuon came out. His real self came out and seized control of the opportunity. He wanted Kyoko, desired her and even if she was acting like another person, she was still Kyoko. It was her smell, her soft skin, her lips and her breath heating his cheek as they kissed. She held on to him as tightly as he held on to her. The heat of her body enflamed his, and he lost himself within her.

If she realized this, knew that he wasn't himself while kissing her, she would ask questions. Questions he wasn't sure he was willing to answer yet.

Since Ren never mentioned it, Kyoko didn't either. First off, he seemed to buy into her lie about some bug biting her; therefore, he didn't realize what he did to her. If she brought it up, accusing him of touching her breast, he would deny it left and right, stating that there is no way he would touch a child so intimately. Second, if he didn't know, that meant admitting to something that he himself didn't notice was a bit of a low blow to her self-esteem. She knew she was small, but she had breasts. For his fingers to lift her breast and not even noticing was too shameful for words. The final option was that he did notice and chose not to bring it up. He was either ashamed or disgusted with himself for touching her so intimately. So no, if he wasn't going to say anything, Kyoko was sealed tight as well.

Love's Rival took a back burner for the rest of the week as did most of Kyoko's and Ren's work. Tragic Marker started to come to an end and intensive, detailed scenes were going to be filmed every day this week, even on Thursday. Kyoko actually thought about sending in a replacement for Bo this coming Thursday. Her excuse being that she was needed on Tragic Marker and Bo could be played by anyone; however, she was terrified of seeing Hikaru again.

Would one week be enough time for Hikaru to forgive her? Most definitely not. If Sho had let her down easy, it still would have taken her months to get over him. Kyoko did not let Hikaru down easy, she crushed his heart and one week seemed too short a time to see him again. At the same time, Kanae's advice not to ignore him came screaming through her head. She would go to work, greet and work with him as she always has and maybe apologize to him several dozen more times by the end of the night.

Stunts. The only stunt scene that Kyoko has ever been exposed to was Ren's car scene for Dark Moon. Even then she really wasn't there to watch it, though she remembered the aftermath of the first one quiet clearly. To say that Kyoko was nervous was an understatement when it came time for the cast of Tragic Marker to do their stunts.

Monday's stunts were set up for all the women. Most of the stunts consisted of BJ scaring them to the point of running and doing something stupid that would allow BJ to kill them. Not that BJ needed them to be injured to kill them, but the audience would find it more thrilling if they developed a limp while being chased. All the stunts were mild compared to the car scene. The worse one was BJ slashing one of the actresses across the side of her stomach and her falling down the stairs in effect breaking her neck.

Tuesday's stunts were for Murasame and Cain. They had to rent out a warehouse for this scene. Here was where Kouji, the hero of the story, conquers the villain. BJ was supposed to chase Kouji into the warehouse filled with old abandoned industrial equipment. The whole place was made to break at certain parts, so as soon as the actor touches it or falls on it, it will collapse without hurting them. It was easier setting all the little triggers and traps in one large warehouse then setup pieces of it on a small stage, one stunt at a time.

She had no problems with Murasame doing the stunts. In fact, it was fun to watch, but the moment it was BJ's turn to interact with the environment, Setsu became very nervous.

"Relax, Setsu. Nothing is going to happen to me," Cain assured her or tried to at least.

"I don't like this," Setsu grumbled as she eyed the dusty area. "The whole area doesn't look too solid. How can they be so sure that everything will work as intended? What if Mura-baka doesn't knock you into the right pile of scrap metal?"

Cain snorted. "If he doesn't, you'll avenge my death won't you?" He teased but Setsu didn't laugh, she actually punched him right in the gut. "Oof!" He lost the air in his body for a moment and his eyes started to water. He glared at her as he hunched over nursing his stomach.

"You are never ever to say that kind of thing to me again," Setsu threatened with teary eyes. "If you died, I would follow you to the grave and kick your ass for leaving me."

Cain smiled at his spit fire of a sister and nodded. "I'm not going to leave you, Setsu," he said as he pulled her in for a hug. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I might get a little bruised from your abuse but not from the stunts today." Setsu smacked him again which made him laugh.

Cain was truthful. All of the stunts were done without a single injury to either of the actors. They did have to be done several times though. There were so many different obstacles in the warehouse, the camera crew had to stop and go making the action scenes feel like a slide show. Not to mention, fake blood had to be added to Murasame's character whenever BJ got too close. They had him change to a new shirt each time it happened, one that was dirtier and cut appropriately. The second time around Murasame caught Setsu watching him change his shirt.

"I can give you a private show tonight if you like, Setsuka," he offered her with a little smirk on his lips.

Instead of simply turning away or glaring back at him, Setsu smiled back at him. The only difference was her smile was dark and wicked. She sashayed over to him, conveniently passing by the props table to pick up a fake knife. Murasame didn't even notice as he was too busy watching move towards him in her revealing black leather vest and mini skirt. When she reached him, he debated with himself to either embrace her or run away.

"It's funny you say that, Murasame," Setsu said with a deep voice. She then let him see the very real looking knife she picked up from the table and ran it down his cheek and down his neck. "I was just thinking how very good you looked stained with blood," she said darkly. She exaggerated licking her full red lips and asked, "Would you really let me have a private performance? I bet I can make it feel really good," she said seductively and then jabbed him with the fake knife causing him to jump away. "For me at least," she added and then laughed.

"Stop flirting with him, Setsu," Cain walked up and growled out angrily in English. Cain put his arm around Setsu's tiny waist and lead her away, but not before winking back at Murasame.

Murasame collapsed against his chair as dark, hellish images filled his mind. The petite woman tying him onto a bed, stripping him bare, yet she stays clothed, wearing leather straps across her pale flesh. A flash of something shinny and sharp appears in her small hand and she strikes. A hiss of pain is forced from his lips at the cut on his chest. Then the little succubus crawls over his body, those dark grey eyes watching him as she drags her tongue along his skin, over the cut licking off his blood. Right when he starts to enjoy the feel of her mouth on him, she strikes again making him jerk against her. Her hands roam across his heated flesh, as her mouth moves to the new wound. She sucked at it this time making him groan, but in pleasure or pain he doesn't know. Setsuka straddled his lap, letting him feel the heat coming from her womanhood. Murasame moved his hips against her making her moan out, but she didn't like that. She cut him again, deeper this time, right across his heart, and he screamed out.

She ran her hand across the injury smearing it across his skin as she leans forwards and whispers, "You move when I make you move." Then she shoved her nails into the flesh around the new cut making him jerk up against her again.

"I'm a masochist," Murasame mumbled to himself as he tried to regain his composure. It took him a little longer to stand up. He really couldn't believe he got a hard on over such a scary fantasy.

The most interesting scene of the day was when Kouji had to jump through a window. BJ was close on his tracks, following Kouji up the stairs and trapping him on the second floor. He futilely tried to stop the killer by knocking down a strategically placed stack of large metal pipes. Setsu squeaked when large pipe knocked her brother down but BJ simply pushed them off, since he was a creature of nightmares. Having no where else to go, Kouji ran towards the window leading out to the fire escape and busted through and proceeded to run to the roof top.

That scene made Kyoko jump each time Murasame crashed through. They had him do it several times, each time the crewmen had to replace the window.

"Why isn't he all cut up? He's gone through the glass like five times already," she tried to sound disappointed, but Ren could hear the interest in her voice. Kyoko was curious how the stunt worked. She watched a single man carry up the heavy glass window after each take, remove the outer frame which was especially made to hold it for the film and replace the broken glass like nothing.

"It's sugar," Cain informed her making Setsu turn to him confused. He smiled. "Glass is too dangerous to break and safety glass is too hard to break without some help. Murasame would be black and blue if he was trying to break any kind of real glass. They use sheets of sugar instead. They can make it clear and thin enough so a fist or someone's body can break it without any real effort. The effect still looks like glass so it fools everyone and no one gets hurt," Ren explained.

"Well that sucks," Setsu griped but Ren saw the sparkle in Kyoko's eyes at learning something new. Filming for the day ended with that. Tomorrow was going to pick up were they left off heading up to the roof.

It was a little after 8 when they arrived at the hotel. They ate out rather than waiting to get back to make something and eating so late, so the rest of the night was supposed to be relaxing. While everything was made to be safe for the stuntmen, it still took a toll on their bodies. Recuperation was key, but Kyoko didn't know this until tonight. Cain was a little stiff when he took off his jacket, though he made an effort to not let his sister know this. He lifted his arm straight into the air to try and stretch out his side where the pipes enjoyed smacking him today. He rotated his shoulders and neck easing the aches that were caused by all the falls he had to endure. It was when he cracked his neck that made Setsu turn and look at him suspiciously.

She watched him move and could tell it was slow compared to other days. It was too early to claim sleepiness so that left other things. Cain's back was towards her when he moved his shoulders and then pulled both his arms back finishing off the stretch. She stormed over with a scowl on her face and grabbed his shirt.

"Setsu, what are you doing?" Cain asked threatening, but of course she didn't care.

"I'm looking for proof," she stated as she lifted his black shirt up his back. Cain frowned trying to understand what she was talking about until she moved to his right side.

"HA!" She exclaimed finding the sore spot on his ribs before he could react and chase her off. "You are hurt! You told me you wouldn't get hurt! You liar!" Setsu cried.

"I'm not hurt, it's just dark because of dirt. If I take a show...OW!" Setsu poked his ribs shooting pain through him. Cain sighed. "Setsu everyone gets hurt during stunts. Murasame is probably worse than I am."

"Like I give a shit about him," she snapped. "Take off your shirt," Setsu demanded. Cain sighed and knew she wasn't going to like what she saw. He took the edges of his shirt in his hands and slowly pulled the cotton tee off. She saw the frown on his face as his arms moved above his head indicating his shoulders hurt. She stepped up onto the chair he was about to sit in and looked him over. Small streaks of red marks appeared over his shoulders as if he was lifting something heavy and then there was another bruise forming high on his left bicep.

"I guess it's not so bad," Setsu confirmed with a frown.

"See, I'm fine," Cain agreed and started to put his shirt back on. Setsu had other plans.

"Go take a shower, a long hot one to relax your shoulders," she ordered as she snatched the shirt from his hands. Cain didn't argue with her. He went to the dresser got a pair of cotton pants out and went to the bathroom. Both of them were craving a shower after being in that dirty warehouse all day. Cain was worse since he was doing all the work, so Setsu decided he was going to have the bath first anyway. The injuries only further encouraged her decision.

When Ren came back out, Kyoko was still dressed as Setsuka. He wondered if she was still in character though since she wouldn't change until she took a shower herself. The first few words out of her mouth answered his question.

"Sit on the bed," Setsu ordered still sounding angry for lying to her about the minor injuries. He did as commanded and sat on the edge of his bed. Setsu came over with several things in her hands: a hand towel, bandages, a bottle of something and an ice pack. She crawled onto the bed behind him started to set up shop.

"Setsu, where did you get those? And you're over reacting. It's not that bad," he reasoned, "I feel better after taking the sh...OW! Stop that!" he growled as she once again poked his ribs.

"Shut up," she ordered again making him glare at her. She went to her knees behind him and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "I got them through room service. Now let me do this. It will make me feel better," she pleaded making him snort.

"Isn't this supposed to make _me_ feel better? I'm the injured one here," he jested making her smirk.

"I'm happy you finally admit it. Lift your arms." He did so to get out of her way. She placed the hand towel on his side high on his ribs and then the ice pack.

"Lower and more towards the back," he informed her, and she made adjustments. She wrapped a large cloth bandage around the middle of his torso to hold the ice pack in place. Once that was done, she moved to the smaller bruise on his left bicep. She took a cooling gel patch and gently placed it on making him smile. It was rather inventive. Those patches were used for fevers or headaches, not bruises. He wondered if it would work the same as an ice pack. Cold was cold.

As he was pondering the little patch on his arm, Setsu was pouring muscle relief cream into her palm. She rubbed her hands together to spread it throughout her palm and then attacked Ren's shoulders. He couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips as she started rubbing the heated lotion on his shoulders. His head fell forward as his body started to relax under her firm hands.

She could only do one shoulder at a time. Even with both of her hands, she barely covered a single broad shoulder, but she tried her best. She massaged the muscle, working in the cream all over, from front to back and left to right. With every new area, Ren groaned or moaned in relief making Kyoko smile. _Was he really going to ignore all these aches and pains? Really, the man only knows how to show off his body. _ Kyoko thought it was safe to drop her character since he wasn't watching nor was anything being said. Setsu would most definitely do this for her brother, as would Kyoko. Setsu simply had more guts to actually initiate it.

She worked the other shoulder and even massaged his neck a little before finishing. She turned Setsu back on and hugged him from behind. "See, don't you feel better," she whispered with her head hooked around the crook of his neck.

"I do," he said throatily. He lifted his right hand up and sunk his fingers into Setsu's blonde hair then turned his head and kissed her temple. "Thank you."

Setsu smiled happy with herself and gave him a quick hug. "My pleasure," she said and bounced off the bed. She twisted around to look at him and waved her finger at him as she lectured him, "Next time don't try to hide it from me. Otherwise you'll miss out on Nurse Setsuka's treatments. Now, I'm going to take my shower. Don't do anything reckless!"

Ren flopped back onto the bed with a huge smile at how wonderful that felt but cringed when the ice pack on his side pressed against him. _This one is excessive. _He thought and started to unravel the bandage around his torso. He intended to keep it, but not permanently.

Kyoko came out to find Ren on his side watching TV. The bandage around his chest was gone but the ice pack was lying on his ribs still doing it's magic.

"How are you doing?" Kyoko asked softly. Ren twisted his head up to look at her. She was Kyoko again.

"I'm fine. I've had worse before," he informed her without really thinking about it. Fear started coursing through him. Since the first thing he thought of was his past, he assumed she would do the same. He tucked his head down again facing the screen hoping she wouldn't see his face. He's had so much worse done to him, beaten up by several guys all at once. He's done worse to others as well, broken bones and busted flesh to say the least. However, she didn't say anything. Kyoko simply thought he was referring to other stunts and didn't feel the need to ask questions. He felt a dip on the bed and then jumped slightly when she touched him.

"Sorry," she mumbled, and he shook his head. Kyoko removed the ice pack from his side and ran her very warm hand over it. A shiver ran through Ren's body and his eyes fluttered closed at the contact. He stayed still as she very gently ran her soft hand over his ribs. It looked normal. There was no darkening mark or red spot. Her fingers tickled his side as they curved around each rib back to front until they hit his arm.

"Does it still hurt?" She asked timidly, and he shook his head.

"As long as you don't poke me anymore," he teased causing Kyoko to smile and blush.

"You can be so stubborn about your body sometimes. I had to get you to admit you were at least hurt," she said with her arms crossed.

Ren turned onto his back so he could talk to her. He smiled up at her and argued her point, "That was when I was sick. I'm rarely ever sick, but things like this I know."

"Because of your martial arts training right?" she asked with a smile. Ren's smile started to disappear to be replaced with a more serious look.

"Yeah, a little bit," he agreed quietly. Kyoko stayed quiet for a moment, watching him slowly recall something from his life, something that he didn't like. After all of her time thinking him thoroughly, she believed she finally figured it out.

"I'm guessing you really don't like violence, do you?" She asked thoughtfully making Ren glance at her.

"Why do you say that?" he wondered.

"Certain things," she said cryptically. "I've been thinking ever since we started playing The Heels. I've been thinking about how very different this role is for you and wondered why you never took up a role like this before now." She suddenly smiled shyly. "I thought it was because of your looks. People would rather see you saving the day and getting the girl then being the bad guy," she confessed with a coy smile.

"But being the bad guy is cool. I should know, right?" Kyoko teased making Ren smile softly. Her face softened and became more serious. "Your career grew high enough for you to escape your princely roles, first with Dark Moon being the tragic hero then the switch to BJ; however, ever since you got the darker roles, you..." she paused and pressed her lips together.

"I what?" he asked softly. Kyoko quickly shifted from her place next to him to give her more room to perform a dogeza on the bed.

"I mean no disrespect. You have performed all of your roles masterfully and with no or very little inconvenience," she yelled into the sheets. "It's that..." her voice went soft as she continued. She lifted herself slightly off the bed but continued to look down, "you struggled with it. Katsuki's dark side, Cain's fighting, BJ's soullessness, they are not things you are use to acting." Now that she finished her "insulting" statement, she suddenly planted her face back into the sheets. "I'm so sorry, Tsuruga-san," she muffled making him laugh silently.

"You're right, Mogami-san. I struggled more with certain parts of those roles then I ever have before. There is no reason for you apologize for being so observant," he assured her. He gently patted her head hoping she would sit back up again.

She straightened up with a bashful smile. "Since it was those parts, I concluded that you don't like violence," she finished her thoughts and then frowned. "Though that does pose a question. If you don't like violence, why would you accept the role of a serial killer?"

Ren smiled as she thought about her own question and then started to full out laugh. Oh how this girls got everything backwards. Instead of thinking ill of him, thinking, _Oh, he must have a horrible past because he knows how to fight and gets beat up, _she thinks he is this peace loving bleeding heart. How he loved her innocent ways.

She was glaring at him when he was able to calm down again. "I'm not laughing at you, Mogami-san," he assured her, but she didn't believe him. "I find your theories of me verses the facts extremely funny. That's all. Mogami-san, if you are curious about me, why don't you simply ask me?"

Kyoko flushed. "I couldn't bother you with such things. It's your life. What if I ask too personal a question? Besides, I'm only your kohai, what right do I have to ask anything of you?"

"You're my friend," he corrected her. Ren gently lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. "One of my closest friends," he added. Kyoko blushed and pulled his hand away from her face.

"I'm honored, Tsuruga-san," she whispered softly.

"Ren," he said softly. "Please call me Ren, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko's face erupted with a huge smile and a face so red it rivaled a tomato. She nodded accepting the long awaited change of titles.

"I.." she croaked. She coughed and then laughed. "I'm going to get a glass of water, would you like one?"

"Sure," he replied. Kyoko quickly crawled off the bed and retreated to the kitchenette. As soon as Ren was out of view, Kyoko started hopping around the kitchenette and silently screaming into her hands. Her hands felt cold against her hot face. No doubt Ren was now wondering if he should back his offer after seeing her reaction to it. She took several deep breaths as she took out two glasses from the cabinet.

_Calm down. Calm down, Kyoko! _Her heart was racing, more so then when she was rubbing his shoulders, though not as much as when he kissed her on film. Still she couldn't get her body to calm down. She filled up one glass with cold water and drank it immediately hoping it would help her out. Then she filled them both up and started to head back should he question why she was taking so long. The moment he appeared back into her vision, she blushed again.

_Damn, _she cursed to herself. _It's probably because he is shirtless... again! But he's injured so its okay._ She reasoned and continued forward. Instead of going to his right where she was before, she sat down to his left.

"We should put the ice pack back on," she told him as he questioned her with a single look. He sat up first and took a large drink of the water then laid back down on his left side facing her. When he was settled, she placed the towel back on his side and gently laid the pack down on his side.

"Good?" she asked, and he nodded. She stayed quiet, sipping her water with her mind jumping around thinking about how she was going to say his name for the first time.

"What do you want to ask?" Ren spoke up bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, um. Are you sure?" she asked uncertain of this sudden burst of honesty. Ren smiled softly, going deep into thought. Kyoko smiled. _See, it's scary thinking of answering any question someone could come up with. I'm glad I asked again. _She was extremely curious about the man she loved, but not at the expense of his comfort and safety. She has learned so much about him by living with him, things she would never forget. Over time, with this friendship, she was sure to learn more. She could be patient.

"Yes," he stated abruptly. "Anything you ask, I will answer honestly," he told her with conviction as if he had to for himself more than her. Then just as suddenly, his demeanor went dark and sad. "Though you might not like some of the things I will say," he warned.

Her heart lurched forward seeing that painful expression on his face. It was that same look from so long ago and more recently when he smiled as BJ. What did that face mean? Why was he in so much pain? What could have happened to make him have such a tortured look? Seeing him like this made her want to comfort him. She unconsciously reached out towards him and softly ran her fingers through his hair. He shifted to look up at her and was met with such a caring, heart filled smile.

"I said I would be here, no matter what might happen. Past or present," Kyoko whispered as she combed back strands of his hair.

Ren didn't move, couldn't move. If he moved too soon, she would be in his arms with his lips pressed against hers, and he would never let her go. No matter how hard she struggled. He didn't want that. He wanted her to come to him willingly, ready to love and be loved by every single part of him. He reached up and stilled her hand against his face. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he pressed her hand against his cheek.

"Ask," he whispered and returned her hand. Kyoko didn't want to, not anymore. Not if it meant he would be like this - sad and in pain.

"Let's do this," she offered with a cheery voice. "I'll ask you a question and you can do the same to me. It doesn't have to be the same question, but something you would like to know about me. Anything at all, I will answer honestly. Deal?" she offered. Ren looked up at her and smiled then nodded.

"Okay," Kyoko started and pretended to put some thought into it. "What's your favorite color?"

Ren laughed, looked at her warm gold eyes and answered, "Gold."

"That's different. I've never heard anyone say their favorite color was gold," she stated. "Your turn."

"What's yours?" he asked in kind.

"Hmm. I've always liked green. It always makes other colors brighter somehow," she stated with a smile. "Did you always want to be an actor?"

"Yes," he answered instantly and then asked, "Are you happy that you are an actress?"

"YES!" she exclaimed. They asked each other silly questions back and forth eliminating the tense mood earlier, but it soon got to the more serious questions.

"What?" she asked confused when she asked what his favorite food was. "What is a buffalo wing?"

Ren laughed and pulled out his phone. He pulled up a picture and explained, "It's a deep fried chicken wing covered in a spicy sauce. I loved them when I was younger."

"This is from America, you lived in America?" She asked as she returned his phone.

Ren's laugher started to die down but he kept his smile. He nodded as he spoke, "I was born there, in California to be exact."

"REALLY?" she said in shock. "That explains so much," she whispered to herself as she thought about their time together.

"Explain? Explains what?" He asked baffled by her response.

"The reason you look up slang words, and how you do that arrogant little shrug that dismisses things so rudely," she said annoyed and mimicked it, making him laugh. "And all of your playboy ways, and the reason why you can't put on a freaking shirt!"

"You don't seem to mind right now," he mentioned with a little smirk.

"Ah ha, it's because you're injured. Allowances are to be made for the crippled," she stated. "Is that why you have a stage name? Because your name is an American one?"

Oh, the name question comes up. Ren was propped up with his elbow now to look at her face easily, but with this question he was a little worried. How did he answer it? This was one of the two major bombs he had to blow on her.

"That one is an extremely loaded question," he started. "No, my name is Japanese. My father is one half Japanese and comes from Kyoto, so I have a Japanese last name."

"He's from Kyoto! What a small world," she said amazed. Ren smiled more fascinated that she hasn't started the hard core inquisition.

"Is Mogami your father's or mother's name?" Ren asked knowing this would change the feel of the conversation.

"My mother's. I don't know who my father is. Mother never spoke about him, never had any pictures nor was there a name on my birth certificate," she explained with a monotone voice. "Is your mother Japanese too?" she asked him the next question.

"Nope. I'm one quarter Japanese. Her name is Julie," he said fondly making Kyoko smile. "I was surprised how well I fit in with everyone with so little native blood. Did you suspect anything?"

Kyoko shook her head. "Well, I thought you were mostly Japanese, maybe had something else in you since you are so tall, like part Viking perhaps?" She joked making him smile.

"Why are you here instead of America?"

Ren took a deep breath and let it out noisily. He moved onto is back to look at the ceiling. "I wanted to make a name for myself without the influence of my family name," he spoke to the white ceiling. "My father is an actor too. I wanted to be exactly like him, and people expected me to be exactly like him with no experience at all," he suddenly snorted. "Remember when I told you how many times I had gotten fired when you were Bo?"

She blushed but nodded. He continued, "It was there when that happened under my real name. That's why no one here knows about it." He laid there and thought about it some more, his lips twitching in memory. "If I'm honest to myself, I thought acting would come naturally to me, like anything I did would be perfect because I was my father's son. When the directors NG'd me, my arrogance and pride yelled back and got me fired every time."

The room got quiet. She was waiting for his question, and he was thinking of his past and how foolish he was when he was younger. It was no wonder he was fired so many times. All the stupid mistakes he did, how completely horrible he was to work with. If Ren had to work with the past Kuon, he would have hated it.

"It's your turn," Kyoko reminded him.

"Oh, um.." he had to thinking about it. "Are you getting tired?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, and that's not a real question," she stated and then frowned, "Are you?"

Ren shook his head. "Do you still think of Fuwa?"

Kyoko was taken aback by the question, and then she had to think about it. It's been so long since she thought of him and her revenge. What shocked her was the fact that she hasn't thought of him since he kissed her on Vain Day.

"No," she said astonished. "I don't actually." She laughed, a happy, somewhat crazed sound. "Isn't that wonderful!" she exclaimed as she thought it through.

"It is," Ren said softly, extremely happy at her answer. "Alright, your next question."

"What's your father's name?"

That one took all the humor out of Ren. His hands moved from behind his head and ran over his face as he took a deep breath. He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed.

Kyoko felt the extreme left turn into personal and wanted to take her question back. "Wait, um," she racked her brain for a simpler question. "Um, do your parents still live in California? How about other family? Aunts, uncles?" she asked his back. "Oh, um that's two questions... Well, um, just pick one."

He didn't say anything. Kyoko licked her lips and wanted to cry. This whole game was a huge mistake. It was completely stupid. She knew she shouldn't have agreed to it. She leaned forward, going on her hands and knees to go to him.

"Ren-kun?" she whispered and started to reach out for him when his head dipped down. His hands came up and weaved with each other at the back of his head, keeping his head down.

"Hizuri Kuu," he told her with deep muffled voice. Kyoko froze when she heard the name. Her hand froze halfway to his shoulder. Surely she had misheard him with his chin tucked into his chest like that.

"I'm sorry," she started, "Did you say..."

"Hizuri Kuu is my father," Ren repeated as he lifted his head and looked timidly at her. He watched her fall back, going back to her straight laced sitting position and losing herself in her thoughts. He looked down with a sigh and then back up at her. He twisted back onto the bed and moved to sit in front of her cross legged. She was shaking, and he feared what she was thinking. He had to explain, to tell her everything as quickly as possible. He licked his lips and gently took her hands within his.

"He came to Japan to see me. When I left America, I cut off all communication with them so no one would find out that I was a Hizuri. It's been more then five years since I last spoke with my parents. Mom was getting worried and asked Dad to come see me. I suppose that assignment he gave you to play his son was my fault. My family is very close, so my disappearance hurt them," he explained but Kyoko never moved.

"Y... you're," she breathed almost inaudibly.

"Hizuri Kuon," he confirmed with a gentle voice. He kept his eyes down, looking at their hands. Time ticked by as the silence between them grew. It wasn't uncomfortable, but was filled with deep thoughts. Kyoko was trying to accept the truth like staring at a picture to figure out what it was, while Ren debated whether or not to tell her the rest about who he is.

"Kyoko, there is one more thing I need to tell you." He gulped and started to rub her hands softly. "I told you my father is from Kyoto. When I was having trouble with my acting, he thought a trip to his homeland would help me calm down. I was in Kyoto for a bit when I was ten..."

Before he could finish, her hands jerked out of his. His hands tightened into fists and his eyes closed in pain. _Too much, too soon. _A cry came from Kyoko making him look at her to find her falling back. The momentum of jerking her hands away from him made her lose her balance on the bed and fall back. This time he wasn't in time to save her.

"Kyoko! Are you alright?" he asked with his arm stretched out in an attempt to catch her.

"You...you.. you..." she scrambled, crab walking away from him. "CORN! You're Corn!" She screamed. "You can't be! He was blonde! He had green eyes! He was a fairy from my childhood!" She yelled out as she jumped to her feet and pressed herself against the dresser.

Ren frowned and stepped off the bed, making Kyoko lean back afraid he was after her. She watched him reach up and pull a contact from his right eye and then his left. She started shaking her head over and over again as brown eyes turned green.

"You didn't know about Corn. When you found the stone, you pretended to not know about it. You even made fun of me when you asked if I was from Kyoto, saying I was tricked by another man." Tears started to appear from her eyes and for once Kyoko let them fall freely.

"That," Ren started to defend himself, to say that he had to keep his secret but couldn't. He really was cruel to her when they meet up again, "That was inexcusable, and I apologize for that. I never thought I would meet you again and when you came into my life again, in the middle of me trying to forget my past. I was cruel to you. I'm sorry, but please know, Kyoko, I never ever meant to hurt you. I lied to you, yes but I was afraid. Afraid that if someone, anyone found out about me, everything I've scarified and worked for would be gone."

Again, nothing was said. She stood there, holding on to the dresser like it was her last line to sanity, and looked at him. Her eyes jumped all over the place, his eyes, his hair, his chest, back at his eyes, the floor, his eyes. Green eyes, those same green eyes that sparkled in the sunny clearing was staring back at her with worry and fear. She couldn't take it, couldn't think with those green eyes looking at her.

"I need a minute," Kyoko mumbled softly. Her eyes were distant and flooded with tears. She couldn't leave the hotel room since she wasn't dressed, so she went to the bathroom, shutting herself into the other room.

Ren watched her go, shaking like a leaf. He collapsed back onto his bed and cursed, "Shit. I've ruined everything."


	29. Overwhelmed

Chapter 29

Kyoko shut the door behind her gently. Her body was going on automatic as her mind was checked out. She slowly turned and leaned against the door, then proceeded to sink down to the floor. Her mind couldn't settle on any one thing. Corn, Kuon, Kuu's son, the stone, his lies, his reasons, everything he told her in a matter of five minutes sent her mind into a coma like state.

She drew her knees up and hugged them tightly against her chest. She focused on nothing and took several deep breaths. Each one was slow and the more she took, the steadier they got. Finally, her mind began to become fuzzy with all the oxygen she took in; however, it allowed her to take in everything once again. The first thought was the one closest to her heart.

_Corn. My fairy prince, Corn is Tsuruga Ren. _

All this time, months passed with her watching his every move, memorizing every little millimeter of him, and she never even thought... it simply wasn't possible. The chances of meeting that boy again was like the chances of him being a real fairy prince. Yet, outside this door was a man who was claiming to be him.

"Kuon," she whispered his name softly the way an American would say it. A twitch of a smile stirred her lips as she recognized her mistake 11 years ago.

"Hizuri Kuon," she whispered again and his father came to mind. She frowned and placed her forehead upon her knees. The only man she has ever called father was Tsuruga Ren's father - the exact same man. Memories of when she met him flooded forward. The way Kuu spoke about his son, Kuu made it seem like he had died. He loved his son so much, had nothing but the best and most wonderful things to say about him. Kyoko started to cry with her face buried in her body. Kuu came all the way to Japan to see a son who didn't want to see him.

_"My father's hands were too big. I couldn't fly."_

_Did he really have to go that far though? Wouldn't he be able to succeed if he started out in Japan with his real name versus abandoning his loving parents? _Kyoko asked herself. Her mind came back with her answer. Memories of first meeting Kuu back in Japan, the swarms of fans that flooded the airport. Everyone in Japan knew Hizuri Kuu, everyone in America knew him too. _Where is he supposed to go then? _

She was forced to admit that Ren, or Kuon rather, didn't have much choice. He wanted to be an actor exactly like Kuu. He loved his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps. She wanted to follow in Ren's footsteps hence Kuu's as well. She couldn't blame him for his desires, but to completely cut off all ties, Kyoko didn't like that.

She raised her head and rested her chin on her forearms. Cool air hit the tears that stained her cheeks. She stood up and went to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. The shock of the cold water helped her wake up, to clear her mind a little more. She dried her face, looked up and was stunned by her reflection in the mirror. Red, blotchy eyes and a completion so pale, she would think herself a ghost if she couldn't hear her heartbeat so loudly in the room.

It was racing, even after all this time, her heart was still racing. She really didn't know how she felt about all this. She was hurt that he didn't tell her. Yet, she understood why he didn't. To segregate his past to the degree of hurting his parents, meant that he didn't want to tempt the fates with his secret. He was that hard up in making it on his own as an actor. Kyoko grimaced and closed her eyes.

_This means that the week we spent together as children meant nothing to him. _If the roles were reversed. If she were to change her name and start over again due to the pain of her past and met Corn again, she wouldn't have hesitated telling him who she was. To have her very first friend walk back into her life years later, it would be more than she could hope for in her time of need. It would be like he had reappeared in her life when she needed it most exactly like when she was six. Kyoko would have told him everything, but he didn't.

Tears started to drown her eyes, and she blinked them away. She walked over to the toilet, put the lid down and sat down. She hugged herself as her memories took on a grey tint to it. The young Kuon forgot all about her the moment he left that little clearing in the woods. Kyoko should be surprised that he even remembered her after seeing the stone. Her tears started to slow as she started getting angry. It was no wonder why he didn't tell her anything if that time meant so little to him. Adding in all the times he laughed at her for mentioning Corn, the fairy prince. For scoffing at her stone and the magic within, he knew there was nothing to the purple rock. Kuon was the one who gave it to her. Nothing but a cheap magic trick to please a crybaby of a girl.

Suddenly, Kyoko let out a deep sigh and leaned back.

"But it worked," she whispered softly. Does it really matter if there was no magic? Each time she needed someone, Corn was there viva that little stone. His bright smile, that comforting warmth and his playful exuberance was all there to help her get through those rough times in her life. It was magical to her. Her dearest childhood friend was always there for her because he never left her heart. She started to laugh softly, sadly.

"He never left my heart," she said softly as her eyes burned. She sat up and sighed again. Kyoko sort of wished she had the stone with her now, but it was safely stowed in it's little purse back home. A frown appeared on her face as she just now realized something. When was the last time she felt the need to use Corn? Even when Sho kissed her, she didn't seek out her stone because...

"He was already here with me," she spoke to herself. _When did this start to happen? When did the real Corn replace his memory? Did he do this on purpose? But why?_ The more she thought about this, the more questions she had. The first question was for her though, would she have the courage to ask him?

Two questions for herself: What did this mean?

She was hurt that he didn't take her aside and telling her who he was right away. He really didn't have to tell her he was a Hizuri. She never knew his real name. She would have probably believed his name was always Tsuruga Ren. A prickling pain pierced her heart the more she thought about it. The fact that Ren was Corn filled her with such joy. Deep down inside she realized she was actually happy to know that he is alive and well. Corn was working on his dream, and in her opinion succeeding far beyond anyone's expectations - except probably his own. Kuon was extremely hard on himself, though most hard working people only expected the best from themselves. Kyoko didn't even think about herself fitting in that category.

As for him being a Hizuri and Kuu's son, well, it only provided further evidence of how completely untouchable he was. To be in love with Tsuruga Ren, Japan's most desired man was already something she felt she couldn't do. Add to the fact that he is from a family as famous as the Hizuri's made him further out of her reach. The fact that she could call Kuu father, Ren her mentor, and Kuon her very first friend was more than she thought she should be allowed. To even wish that she could be loved by them...

Kyoko swallow and looked down at the white tile floor. Her heart betrayed her, making her picture being loved by Kuon, to marry him and forever be in his heart, to marry the son of Kuu and actually be his daughter. The wish and desire of a real family around her, feeling even a tenth of the love Kuu expressed for his son for her. For the love she had in her heart to be reflected back at her by Kuon himself.

Large wet tears ran down her face, and she sobbed loudly. She gasped at the sound and clamped her hand over her mouth as she cried. Kyoko wanted him. She loved him more now then she ever did before. The truth was supposed to set a person free, yet she only felt further imprisoned by it.

Kyoko fell asleep in the bathroom. She couldn't bring herself to leave the room and face him so soon. Even though all her quiet contemplations took up half the night and she was sure he would be asleep by now, she couldn't come out. She wanted more time. Time to compose herself, so she wouldn't run into his arms and confess everything she was feeling in her heart. For if she were to tell him that she loved him, loved him with her whole heart and soul, he would turn away from her.

"I didn't tell you who I am because I loved you. I only want to be friends, but now... perhaps we shouldn't even be friends." Kyoko could hear his words. He would let her down easy, because that was who he was. He was kind but honest. If she confessed, he would tell her how he truly felt, no matter how difficult it might be.

No, Kyoko didn't want to hear that. She never wanted to hear those words from his lips. She would rather be his friend for the rest of their lives then risk losing him because of her foolish heart. Therefore, she had to stay in the bathroom till she calmed down, until she could be around him without losing herself to her emotions. When morning came, she took a shower, used the water to rinse her of tears and woes of last night. The hot water cascaded down her body and cleansed her soul so she may start anew.

She put on the bathrobe since she didn't have fresh clothes with her. She walked over to the door and her hand hesitated at the handle. Her body refused to move. Kyoko wanted to laugh at herself. _Am I going to be trapped in the bathroom forever? _ She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths and tried again. This time her hand gripped the handle, but didn't turn it. She once again tried to summon up her inner strength when suddenly the door opened on its own taking her with it.

"Ack!" She yelped as she stumbled after the door and right into Kuon's chest.

"Oh, um. I'm sorry. I saw the handle move, but you didn't come out, so I thought it was stuck, and... I'm sorry," Kuon cut off his rambling with a little blush. He pushed her back onto her own feet and quickly let her go for fear of upsetting her.

Kyoko was having trouble looking up at him. She could feel the heat on her face from the stumble. She knew she was going to have to see him, but to fall into his arms the moment she stepped out of the bathroom wasn't quite what she was thinking. She looked at the floor and then his bare feet peeking from his cloth pajamas. Her eyes moved up his body and was pleased to see that he had a t-shirt on. It felt like an eternity until she reached his face, yet the moment she did, she turned away in another blush. _His eyes are still green! _She shut her eyes as her heart started to race. _ I can't do this! _

"Mogami-san," Kuon spoke softly. Kyoko stiffened as he reverted back to her last name. "I can't tell you enough how sorry I am for not telling you everything sooner. I know I wasn't nicest person to you when we met again, but it was so unexpected seeing you again. I pushed away everything from my past for all those years that it became natural to me. You, another person from my past, came into my life, so I wanted to push you away, but I couldn't."

With those last few words, Kyoko looked up and was able to look at Kuon's face. He, however, was not looking at her. A scared and sad expression was on his face as he spoke, "Seeing you again brought back so many memories - good memories. Memories of a simpler time and of a friendship that I missed dearly." He wanted to say more. To tell her that he couldn't stay away from her because he fell in love with her. The perfect little Japanese girl became the perfect woman that he doesn't want to let go of. He never wanted to let her go again.

When he dared to look back at her, she was crying and panic seized him.

"Y...you," Kyoko wept softly trying to speak. Her lips pressed together as tears started to run down her cheeks. "You remembered that week?" She asked softly.

Kuon's brow furrowed confused. "Yes, I remember that week with you. I remember everything in vivid detail. It's one of my most treasured memories," he replied sincerely, which only made her cry harder.

"I thought you didn't care," she cried out. "I thought I was the only one who thought it was special." She abruptly threw herself into his arms, hugging his waist tightly and crying into his shirt. Ren was swayed back slightly but quickly recovered and hugged her back in relief.

"When I found out you were Corn, and you didn't tell me who you were, I thought it didn't mean anything to you. That week meant so much to me, and for you to know all this time and never tell me anything. I thought you didn't care," she wailed against his chest.

Kuon's heart broke at each word coming from her mouth. He held her tighter in his arms and buried his face in her hair. "Mogami-san..."

"Kyoko," she grumbled.

A small smile spread on Kuon's face. "Kyoko-chan, I..."

"No chan, Kyoko," she ordered again.

"Kyoko," he said endearingly. "When I went to Kyoto, I told you that I couldn't fly freely because of my father. When I met you as children, I was already hating myself, hating everything around me, slowly falling apart." He pulled her away so he could look at her beautiful red watery face. He smiled softly at her as he spoke, "You helped me through that. Your smile and laughter helped me crawl out of that depression. Your determination made me want to work harder for my own goals." A light blush crept along her face as he spoke, but she made no effort to turn away from him. His smile fell as he continued to speak, "I now wish I had a token from you to take with me back home. Something of yours that could have helped me through my troubled times. If I had that, perhaps then I wouldn't have..." He stopped and that dark mournful look appeared on his face in front of Kyoko's eyes.

"Kuon?" She called out to him out of concern, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned wide stunned eyes to her and then smiled such a heavenly divine smile.

"I haven't had anyone call me that in such a long time. Could you say it again?" He pleaded with an adorable face which made Kyoko burn a bright red. Now she was forced to look away out of embarrassment.

"Kuon-kun," she mumbled.

"No, that's not right. You are one of two people in all of Japan that knows my secret. There is no more room for polite honorifics between us, Kyoko," he teased making her huff in frustration but smile in pleasure.

"Kuon," she said again granting her with another one of his heart stopping smiles.

"I like that very much," he said with a deep voice. "It's such a shame I won't be able to hear it all the time," Kuon said with regret. She looked up at him with a questioning look.

"You may know my true identity but no one else does. You can't use my real name until I make my debut as Hizuri Kuon. Okay?" He told her, and she quickly nodded.

"I won't ever mention it again. I promise, no one will ever find out your true name from me," she assured him and then gave him another hug. Kuon didn't quite like the sound of that. To never hear his real name spill from her lips was almost nightmarish.

"Well, I think it would be alright as long as we knew we are alone," he said lightheartedly. "Don't you think?"

Kyoko pulled away to stand on her own and both of them missed each other's warmth, though neither showed it. "No, that would not be safe. After everything you've worked for, to call you by your real name because we think we are alone. It's too risky. What if someone walked by without us knowing? What if someone bugged my purse or your jacket?" She exclaimed and starting going off on how many different ways his secret could be exposed. He couldn't help but laugh at all the silly ideas she came up with.

"Kyoko, I really don't think I would miss some stranger hiding in my apartment," Kuon stated with a little smirk.

She laughed. "Yeah, okay, but you can't dismiss how determined people can be to find out everything about famous people. I'll stick with Ren even in private, but..." Kyoko started to blush and smile bashfully. "Kuon. Kuon, Kuon, Kuon, Kuon," she repeated ending with a little giggle.

Kuon couldn't help the large smile on his face. She was too adorable for words with her flushed face and cutey honey smile. "Did you get it out of your system?" He teased.

She shook her head. "Though if I ever feel the need, could I call you Corn?" She asked shyly. He nodded making her smile brighter. She was still blushing lightly with a big silly smile on her face. "Um, so I should get dressed, and the shower is all yours," she told him trying to get the day started.

Truthfully, Kuon didn't want to leave this moment. Kyoko accepted him, accepted his true identity, and the fact that he kept their past a secret from her. It was more than he could hope for during this stage of their relationship. Granted, his heart wanted her love and everything that goes with it, but to have her unconditional friendship, it was more than enough. She didn't let him bask in the moment though. She walked off towards the closet to pick out Setsuka's outfit for today. After everything that happened from last night to now, Kuon had forgotten that he had to do more stunts today. He looked at the time and noticed that they had a few hours till they were due on set. His mind quickly dismissed work related thoughts and started to think about what they could do for these few hours together.

"Corn," she called out to him just before he headed to the bathroom. He smiled, mostly at himself than her nickname. Such a silly nickname shouldn't make him feel so good. He felt completely lit up all because she called him a vegetable. He turned towards her and saw her looking at his neat made up bed.

"Did you fix your bed when you woke up?" she asked eyeing the neat spread suspiciously.

"Uh, yes?" he lied badly.

Her face fell into sad worried lines. "You didn't sleep last night?" she asked softly.

"I couldn't," Kuon confessed. "Not without knowing you were okay."

"I'm sorry," Kyoko sobbed softly, her eyes starting to get watery again. Kuon rushed over to her, and she bowed down, preventing him from holding her. "I'm so sorry! To make you worry about me when you have such an important day of filming to do." She straightened up and started pulling back his sheets as she spoke, "You should go to bed. We have a few hours before we have to be at the studio. Take a nap. I could never forgive myself if you got hurt, because you were drowsy."

"Kyoko, I'm not really tired" he stated and stopped her fussy hands. "I've pulled all nighters before. I'll be fine." She didn't seem to believe him but nodded softly. "I'm going to take shower and then we can go out and have breakfast. Sound good?" Kyoko nodded with a coy smile.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So how many of you teared up over Kyoko's anguish more than Hikaru's break up? Cuz, I'm guilty of that too.**


	30. Wrath

Chapter 30

Ren and Kyoko went out to breakfast as Cain and Setsu since they would most likely head to the studio after their outing. They had breakfast and then Setsu wanted to go "shopping". Which meant walking around talking to each other while Cain tried to buy her something. She would then start criticizing it so Ren wouldn't spend money on Kyoko. All they really wanted to do was walk around and talk, to simply be together, but Ren couldn't help but try and buy her anything that lit up her eyes.

They arrived on set right on time. It was the best compromise to their never late professionalism versus their non-caring Heel attitude. They were back at the warehouse, though instead of everything being filmed inside the building, they were focusing on the outside. They had a small portable camera crew on the stairs leading up to the window Kouji crashed through. Much to Setsu's disappointment, he wasn't going to go through the sugar window again. They would be filming his ascent up to the roof with BJ following close behind. The hero's master plan will unfold causing another untimely death for the poor villain.

"Why does your character have to die?" Setsu complained. "It isn't even a believable scene. There is no way Mura-baka would be able to beat you in a fight."

Cain smirked at his little sister. "I can't die, Setsu. I'm immortal, remember?"

Setsu grinned. "That's why I approved of this film. No way was I going to let you play a film where you die at the end."

"Let me?" Cain asked incredibly. Setsu nodded sharply once making Cain snort. It wasn't long before they were called over to start the scene. The scene started with Murasame on the fire escape outside the window and Cain inside the building standing by the broken window.

"Murasame-san I want you to start running up the stairs as soon as we call action. Heel-san, please count to 15 and come running out," Director Konoe instructed. Setsu translated unnecessarily into Cain's ear. Cain nodded silently. "Alright, let's do a dry run and see what it looks like.

**Kouji crashed through the window, the only option available to escape the serial killer on his heels. The momentum of his feat almost caused him to go over the railing, but he was able to hold fast to the metal staircase. He risked a glance back into the dark abyss and saw a flash of steel moving in the darkness. He knew those pipes wouldn't stop it, but he hoped it would take the monster longer than that to get out of the mess. He headed upstairs hoping that he had chosen the right building. Never did he think that it would be so difficult to find the right warehouse in the dark like this. Though once he reached the roof top there were way more obstacles then before. **

**"Shit!" Kouji cursed and looked around. He was actually one row off, picking the building behind the one he was supposed to go to. Still, he felt like not all was lost. All he had to do was get Amazume's attention and the plan would still be on. He looked north towards the sniper's location and started waving his arms when suddenly he heard heavy footsteps on the stairway. Kouji knew he didn't have much time, so he...**

"Cut!" Director Konoe called out stopping Cain at the top of the stairs. "Okay, that took way too long. Let's cut the count down to 8 and do it again.

They filmed the scene over again, giving Murasame much less time on the roof alone. It didn't seem to phase him as he did everything required in the shorter time. When BJ was fully on the roof with Kouji running, they stopped filming again to setup the camera for the next action scene. Everyone had a quick twenty minute break.

Setsu gave Cain a cold bottle of water and retreated to a secluded spot on the roof. They were still in view of the crew but segregated. He pulled a long drag of the water, wanting to splash it on his face and down his back. It was rather hot today. The middle of summer and on a rooftop, the sun was beating down on them hard. Why were they filming a night scene in the middle of the day?

Safety and it was actually easier. They had enough natural light to ensure everything in the film was going to be seen, and the stunt coordinators are able to ensure that everyone was safe. There are more accidents with real night scenes because no one can see the equipment. Plus, they don't need to rent extra equipment for lighting or generators. Editing the film to make it night time was overall more efficient. Still, that sun was killer!

Cain looked down at Setsu fanning herself with a little paper fan she made out of boredom. She was watching the crew set everything up, making sure that nothing unwanted would be shot and all that jazz. She had her hair up today, pinning it up in a messy little twist that still made her look sexy as hell. However, it could be her outfit. She wore this skin tight light grey top that had a rough cut going right across the upper portion of her breasts, giving off the nicest little glimpse of her upper breasts. It was sleeveless leaving her shoulders and arms completely bare. The rest hugged her upper chest like a second skin, starting high at her neck, crawling over her breast and ending at the top of her stomach allowing Setsu's trademark bare tummy: soft smooth skin stretching over taut muscle and sinking into extremely low rise black jeans. Calling them black was an overstatement, but they were once black. Now a fashionably faded black with strategic rips and bruises placed all over her beautiful legs.

Setsu wanted to run to the nearest shower. _Was it ever this hot in Tokyo? Why couldn't they do this in an air conditioned studio? _She knew it was going to be hot today. The morning spent out gave her more then enough warning, but Cain objected to her changing to something cooler.

"We are going to a warehouse with a lot of rusty sharp metal. Wear pants," he commanded and of course, she obeyed. Right now, she didn't give a damn about the sharp rusty crap in the area. She wanted to rip her jeans to make them into shorts. Maybe then she could cool off. In the middle of her mental bitching, Cain unexpectedly pressed his cold bottle of water on her neck making her scream and jump high into the air.

"What the hell!" Setsu screamed as she rubbed the sudden cold spot. Cain snickered softly at her response.

"You looked hot," he told her with a snicker.

She glared at him. "So you put a ice cold water bottle on me! Warn me! Say something!"

"I could have poured the water on you," he threatened.

"You wouldn't dare," she whispered harshly. He smiled mischievously at her and started to lift the bottle high into the air. Setsu's eyes widen and ran around the inoperative heating vent they were leaning on. Cain being taller than the vent simply leaned over it and dropped a few drops of water on her head making her scream playfully. She tried to squat down behind the vent but of course that didn't work, finally she ran up and hugged him.

"If you wet me, you'll get yourself too!" she declared making him freeze. Cain contemplated still doing it, however the water wouldn't dry before the scene started, and it might make him look different. He yielded. He screwed the top back on and set the bottle down. Setsu took this opportunity and jumped back, snatching the bottle from it's little spot.

"Now the tables have turned," she teased menacingly. Cain's smile fell into an evil little glare as Setsu slowly opened it back up.

"I wouldn't do that. You remember what happened the last time you poured water on me," he remaindered her of that morning so long ago when they got into a water fight after Cain dumped her into a tub filled with cold water. Kyoko's personality bled through slightly at that memory giving Setsu's cheeks a slight blush.

"I was thinking of something much worse," she told him and then proceeded to start chugging the water bottle. She tilted her head back and drunk the cold refreshing liquid. With a third of the bottle left, she purposely pulled the bottle up away from her mouth to allow the cold water to splash onto her face, down her neck and soak into her shirt.

"WAAH!" She shivered with a huge smile. She turned a grin to her big brother. "Now you don't have anything to drink. Your loss!"

_My loss? You poured cold water over your face to drip down to your chest. _Her grey top was now half dark grey. Kuon could see the effect of the cold peeking though her shirt in the form of two little hard nipples. Trails of water still ran down her face and neck with some drops hanging from her ear. Without warning, Cain grabbed her around the waist and holstered her up to sit on the heating vent.

"As I see it, there is still plenty to drink," he whispered darkly at her. Setsu frowned looking at the bottle and then gasped when Cain leaned in and licked her ear. Kyoko was momentarily stunned at this. This felt like something they would do in Love's Rival, not as the Heel siblings. Though at the same time, Kenta would never be this forward. Unless they were alone, even then it was too aggressive. Cain licked her cheek, from her jaw all the way up to her temple. A shaky breath escaped her lips as he licked the water off her face. Her heart was racing with her body heating up from his attentions. Really, with the sun and Ren, she was going to burn up inside and out.

"Are you two really brother and sister? Because if you are, that is really sick," Murasame interrupted them. Kyoko was relieved and mortified at the same time. She ducked her head into BJ's coat to try and regain Setsu's character while Cain looked back at the other actor.

"Fuck off," Cain growled to him in English and returned to play with his little sister. Murasame sneered at Cain as he turned his back to him. He was tempted to start up the fight scene here and now. This asshole really got on Murasame's nerves. He couldn't wait for this film to be over with.

"Hey! Let's go! It's time for me to kick you ass on film," Murasame yelled at Cain. This time instead of the big brother turning towards him his little sister popped out from around him, her fiery eyes burning holes through him.

"You should be happy that this loss is in the script otherwise you wouldn't be able to lay a hand on my brother. I believe he told you to fuck off. He'll come when he is ready," Setsuka snarled in Japanese. Murasame tsked dismissively and turned to head back to the director. He was so tired of all this bullshit.

"They need you," Setsu whispered into her brother's chest.

"Hmm," Cain sounded, but she couldn't tell if he was saying okay or I don't care. She looked up at him and found him looking softly down at her. His hand curled around her ear, and she leaned her face into his palm. Cain leaned down, pressed his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. Setsu smiled, warmed by her brother's affection and lifted her hand to wrap around the back of his neck. She scratched the back of his skull lightly making him almost purr. He pulled away after a moment saying it was time to go. She hopped off and headed to the crew so she wouldn't be in the way. She heard Cain walking behind her and the anticipation of the scene was starting within her. She was always eager to see him work, even if she was a little sad to lose his attention.

Setsu wasn't blind, and Kyoko wasn't dumb. Before every scene in Tragic Marker, Cain would do something affectionate to Setsuka. He would run his hand through her hair, stroke her cheek, hug her, kiss the top of her head or do something with her hands. It took some getting used to, but Kyoko started looking forward to it each and every one of them. He always stated it was because she was so cute, but there was a flaw in his logic. When they were together, he was always trying to spoil her and teased her mercilessly, but it was only before a scene did he touch her so intimately. It was rare when he touched her, so these little episodes were rather special even in Heel terms.

Kyoko wanted to question it but was afraid that if she did, he would stop. It was one of the few moments that she believed she was loved. Well, it was what she thought love would feel like, not that she had anything to compare it to. Perhaps she would ask after the film was over. Since the Heels would disappear, he was never going to touch her like that again, so there was no risk in losing it with it already gone.

**Kouji looked north towards the sniper's location and started waving his arms when suddenly he heard heavy footsteps on the stairway. He knew he didn't have much time, so he ran towards the north edge of the roof top. There were so many tall heating vents and constructs that he doubt that Amazume could see him. Kouji heard nothing behind him, not a single footstep or labored breath. Granted, he couldn't really hear past his own heart beat. **

**He twisted around trying to find a hint of where Black Jack was but saw nothing but darkness. As his eyes were franticly searching, he stumbled over a steel pipe and fell hard to the gravel. A sharp pain shot down his leg as he went down. He looked down to see a shallow cut on his upper left thigh caused by a shard of metal. The fall and blood was an instant attraction to the predator. Kouji was barely able to look at his wound before he saw movement beside him. **

**BJ came flying forward, finding opportunity to strike. Kouji was a fighter though. Reaching for the pipe that he tripped over, he swung it out hoping to hit something. The pipe met nothing but air, but at least it drove the killer back, out of striking distance. Kouji scrambled to get to his feet, trying to keep the shadow within his sights. BJ looked coldly at him, the minimal light from the night sky allowing Kouji to see the bloodshot red eyes that signaled nothing but his death. **

**He was halfway up when BJ moved forward again. The knife flashing through the air and straight towards him with deadly accuracy. Kouji blocked the blow with the pipe, halting his arm in the air, but it cost him his footing. BJ swiped Kouji's leg crashing him back to the ground with the murderer on top using his weight to drive the blade home. The blade bit down above his right shoulder, but it wasn't high enough, slicing through his shirt and flesh easily. Kouji screamed a painful war cry and pushed BJ off with adrenaline induced strength. **

**BJ went crashing back into a sheet metal shed. Kouji twisted and pushed himself up, using the momentum to hurl himself forwards to his original goal. With all that noise and motion, Amazume must have seen them! He reached the edge and waved his arms up. As soon as he did, pain shot down his torso from the gouge on his shoulder. He groaned in pain and wilted down to his knee just in time for BJ's knife to swing though the air over his head. Kouji gasped and rolled away suffering the pain in his leg and shoulder. BJ followed persistently, moving forward with murderous intent. Kouji struggled to keep up, the razor edged blade bit his skin at every strike, his hands, arms, legs. Nothing vital but all agonizingly painful and each one increased his desperation. **

**Finally, a crack sounded in the air and hope surged through Kouji. Yet precious seconds passed with the bloody killer above him never missing a beat. The sniper missed, Amazume fucking missed, and Kouji felt more alone than ever. If he didn't do something now, he will die. Out of pure desperation, Kouji attacked with the pipe instead of defend. As expected, Black Jack dodged the attack, but it gave Kouji the chance to lift his foot and grab BJ's tattered trench coat. He struck out, his foot connecting to the killer's stomach and pushed with all of his might, lifting the much larger man up and over the ledge. **

"CUT!" Director Konoe cut the scene just as Murasame connected with Cain's stomach. The heat from the fight was still high between the two men, but both heard the signal to stop. Murasame pushed his foot into Cain's stomach though there was no resistance as Cain stepped back, not giving the protagonist the satisfaction. Normally Ren would help his co-star up from his fallen position, but Cain simply walked away heading back to his little sister and hopefully a fresh bottle of water.

They reviewed the footage and had to shoot the fight scene two more times. Again needing different angles to provide the editing crew with enough of the fight scenes to make it look good on film. It was after a little before 4 when they called for a long dinner break.

"Everyone is free to go for two hours. Please meet back at the main studio at 6 for the death scene," Director Konoe announced and everyone started moving. The crew had to pack everything away and then have their own dinner break.

"YES! Let's get out of the sun and into something with air conditioning!" Setsuka griped as she headed off the roof. They all made their way down to the ground and she quickly took up Cain's arm. "You know what would be nice?" she asked rhetorically. "Jumping into the hotel swimming pool," she stated and then sighed wistfully. "That sounds soo good right now."

"You don't have a swim suit, Setsu," Cain reminded her casually.

"So? I'll go in my underwear. It's the same thing as a swimsuit, but made out of different fabric," she said nonchalant.

As much as Kuon would love to see her dive into clear cool water at the pool in nothing but her black underwear, he had to turn her down. Unfortunately, telling her that they didn't have time to go swimming wasn't a good excuse for the Heel siblings. Why do they care if they are late? Therefore, he had to use other means. "That sounds good. We'll skip dinner and head straight to the pool."

Setsu glared up at him who was hiding his celebratory smirk. "We are eating. You can't escape a meal especially after all that work you've done today. Can you honestly tell me that you aren't hungry even after doing the fight scene three times?"

"Yes, I'm not hungry," he told her without hesitation. She sighed. Cain washed up as best as he could and dressed in his normal clothes before heading out to a simple restaurant for dinner. They went to a ramen shop to give Cain a good hardy meal of carbs and proteins for all his stunts.

When they arrived at the studio they were assaulted by a massive green set. They recreated the warehouse roof top all in green to film BJ's fall. The building set was much shorter than the actual warehouse, but it was still about 1 1/2 stories tall. Setsu nor Kyoko has seen entire green set. She had seen some things done up in green screen but not a whole set. Everyone was still gathering, so she went to explore the stage. The dark sultry woman was like a stain against the bright color. Cain watched her step up and reach her hand out to touch the wall. With everything being the same uninterruptable color it was difficult to gauge where an object started and ended. She had to take a step forward to touch the building. Her depth perception was all screwed up. Cain looked around, noticing no one was around.

He walked over to her, leaned down and whispered, "What do you think of your favorite color now?"

Kyoko jumped slightly and blushed. Cain's voice was soft and his face was not very Cain like. She smiled bashfully at Ren. "It's sort of dizzying, like I fell into a can of paint," she replied in a hushed voice. She started walking around the building, keeping her hand on the wall to help guide her around the set. "How do you work with this?" She asked in wonderment and then promptly tripped on the padding that would soften Cain's fall.

"Whoa." Ren's arm captured Kyoko's waist preventing her from falling onto the mat. She flushed embarrassed by her clumsiness as he pulled her against his body. He let her go but stayed very close to her as he started to explain, "The stage can be daunting at first but if you look closely..."

"I wish I was his sister," a woman said wistfully.

Murasame was sitting in his chair watching the two non-siblings on the stage. His eyes darting from staring lustfully at the girl and glaring angrily at the guy. Then in the mist of his Heel watching, two of the female crew members came out and started watching them as well, within hearing distance from his seat.

"How could you say that? He's so scary," the woman named, Taida Miaki, commented timidly. If Murasame remembered correctly, she was in costumes.

"Yeah, but not when he's with her. Look at him," the other one, Fujita something - he couldn't remember her. He followed their sight to the two and saw Setsu laughing at whatever her brother had said. He had to tear his eyes away from the young girl to see the man they were admiring. He frowned at the taller man. He looked as menacing as he always did, tall, lanky and broo...ding? He frowned as he saw the man was smiling. Murasame's eyes flickered to the girls who were staring at him with big dopey eyes. He returned to the man in question. That face, that soft, endearing face looked completely out of place. Murasame watched Heel Cain look down at the blonde vixen, who was playing on the set, with such love and adoration, it was scary.

One of the women beside him sighed and he couldn't take it anymore. Murasame stood up and headed to the set eager to break their little act. "You are going to ruin the set," he said moodily. Both of their faces instantly changed from joyous to annoyed. They didn't even grace the handsome actor with a single word and started to walk away.

"Hey!" Murasame called out to them bring their combined attention to him. "Why didn't you two come here as lovers instead? It's obvious that you are. To parade around like siblings while acting like lovers is sick."

Setsu sneered at him. "What we do or act like is none of your concern," she snapped as she walked over to him. "So mind your own fucking business, and the set is fine, Mommy," she said in patronizing way. She didn't let him respond, turning away from him after she was done.

"Mommy, huh?" Murasame said darkly and snatched her wrist. He pulled her forcefully to him. "Why don't you call me Daddy. Then maybe you'd fuck me like you do your brother."

***WHACK* **

Cain's fist came crashing through connecting with Murasame's face, knocking him away from Setsu. Murasame laughed as he stumbled away, trying to regain his footing. People in the area saw what Cain did and came rushing up. Cain came charging in, grabbed Murasame's shirt and whined up to take another hit.

"STOP!" The director came waving his arms franticly. "Stop! Let him go instantly, Heel-san," Konoe ordered.

"No, he dies, now," Cain growled and his arm tensed to make the finishing blow. Thin, delicate arms wrapped around him making him freeze.

"Let's go," Setsu spoke softly. Cain shoved him off, with Murasame smirking arrogantly at him. Kuon desperately wanted beat him until the blood stopped flowing. How dare he talk to Kyoko like that, like some perverse whore. Kuon needed to leave, to escape this before he reverted back to the soulless monster he truly was. He twisted around and put his arm around Setsu. He allowed Setsu to take him away, his blood churning as they silently walked off. They distantly heard the director announce that they would start in twenty minutes and then the violent objection from Murasame before they locked themselves in a private waiting room.

As soon as they were alone, Kuon screamed, a guttural sound crawled from his throat as he punched through the dry wall. Setsu flinched at impact but stayed quiet. Kyoko was actually a little shook up by Murasame's words. She has never been the target of such a raw vicious attack. His eyes were cold and cruel tinted with angry sexual desire. She realized that she was forced to be heartless to him, to everyone, but how did she incite such a response?

Kuon had his eyes closed, leaning against the wall and taking several deep breaths. He couldn't get rid of the blood lust. His body still desired to rip apart the man outside. His mind went to the one thing that could calm him down, but when he turned towards Kyoko, his rage only increased.

She was crying. The bastard made her cry.

"I'm going to kill him," Kuon rumbled and started to open the door. Setsu wrapped her arms around his right and shook her head.

"Stay with me, please, Nii-san," she pleaded with a soft throaty voice. Kuon desperately wanted to throttle Murasame, but she took precedence. Kuon turned and lifted Kyoko in his arms. She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him closer. He walked them over to the couch and sat her down in his lap.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko mumbled. "I know that shouldn't have bothered Setsu, but I was so shocked by his words, his intensity." Kyoko went quiet and nuzzled her head on Kuon's shoulder. "It scared me," she confessed softly. Kuon sighed and hugged her tightly.

"Kyoko, he's never going to touch you. You'll never see him again," Kuon reassured her, rocking her gently in his arms. "If he even looks at you, I'll..."

"Corn, he didn't say that to me. He said it to Setsuka," she tried to reason with him as she wiped away her tears. She could feel the anger wafting off of him. She hasn't seen him this angry since seaweed head threw her to the ground. Kyoko felt the need to be there for him to help him with this. Simply being in his arms, helped comfort her to the point of not crying.

"...and he made _You_ cry," he clarified.

"He isn't Beagle. He doesn't know who I am. Setsuka will disappear, and he won't be a threat to me anymore. Don't be angry anymore," she pleaded.

Kuon chuckled softy, and shook his head. "I've never met anyone who could subdue me like you do," he said. Kyoko lifted her head up from his shoulder to look at him confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.

Kuon smiled sadly, "If it wasn't for you being here to stop me, Murasame would be broken, probably unconscious or dead, and I would be escorted out of the building in cuffs."

"Ah, but if I wasn't here, you wouldn't have gotten angry in the first place," she amended. "Every time you get into a fight, it's because of me," she added, disappointed at herself. Suddenly, she felt him get angry again, though she was ready for his wrath.

"Why do you always do that? Why is it always your fault if something goes wrong? How about this... If I was a better man, you wouldn't be force to play this role. If I wasn't so blood thirsty, everything would be different. You would have never been hurt, I would have be able to live with myself, and Rick would have still been alive." His voice drifted off the barest of whispers. Kyoko didn't understand his words, the sorrow and tortured look on his face. He wasn't looking at her, though his arms still held her securely in his lap.

"Who is Rick?" She asked the perfect question.

Kuon sighed. "I don't have enough time to tell you this. We need to get back on set," he stated trying to avoid the conversation. He pushed her off his lap, gently setting her into the seat next to him and tried to stand. Kyoko, however, beat him to it. She jumped off the little couch, ran to the door and locked it. She dragged a little table stand that was next to the door and dragged it over. She then turned back at him with a determined look.

"Who is Rick? Why do you feel so tormented about his death? You act as if you killed him, but," she stopped, and closed her mouth. Gears rotated in her head, and she looked at him carefully, "Is his death the reason why you aren't allowed to love that girl?" Kyoko asked carefully.

"That girl?" Kuon asked confused by her choice of words.

"Yes, the girl that broke you heart, because she is dating someone else. The girl that's younger than you, and you're in love with, but you won't and can't be with her. Who is Rick, and why do you think all this is your fault?" She asked as she walked up to him.

"Rick was..." Kuon started and then shook his head. "We don't have time for this. I don't want to talk about this right now." He stood up to leave and then was shoved back down on the couch by a surprisingly strong girl. He sat there stunned by the force he felt and then was shocked again when she started to straddle his lap.

"Kyoko," he threatened and started to pull her off. He placed his hands at her hips and was moving her so easily that she grabbed his jacket with all her strength.

"They can wait. Now stop wasting time and spill," she commanded making him sigh. He nodded but couldn't have her in his lap, not looking like that, not while telling her about the worse side of him. He introduced Rick to her as his closest friend. Kuon told her what Rick meant to him and how he helped him through his troubles, making him stronger mentally. However, the continuous failures and self depreciation couldn't be held back by any amount of discipline.

"No one could stop me, even though Rick tried. I ran after the guy, and Rick followed and died. He died trying to stop me. His blood is on my hands," he finished. Silence filled into the room for several breaths. Kyoko opened her mouth to speak when there was a knock at the door. Kuon started to stand, but Kyoko pushed him back down. She walked over to the door and opened it as far as the table would allow. She snapped at the person behind them, telling whomever it was that they needed ten more minutes. Most of the crew was frightened of her, simply because they were frightened of her brother and didn't question her demand.

When she turned around, Kuon was looking at his hands as if they were something alien. He held them out, afraid of them touching anything, and Kyoko could see the horror and loathing in his eyes. Several different ideas ran though her head. She wanted to run up and kiss him, to kiss away all the negative expressions on his face. She thought to tell him how much she loved his hands, how good they made her feel holding hers, touching her face or gliding across her skin. Instead she walked up and took a hold of both of his hand in each of hers.

"It's not my fault," she said softly. Kuon blinked and had to process her words several times in his head. After several heartbeats, he decided that she did indeed say it wasn't _her_ fault. When he looked up at her confused she clarified.

"It's not my fault that my mother never loved me. My mother never loved anyone. It's not my fault that Sho never loved me. He only loves himself, and what others can do for him. It's not my fault that Beagle is stalking me. I totally blame Sho for that." Kuon couldn't help but smile at that one. "It's not my fault that those men approached me our first night out as siblings. The fact that they approached me was probably a good thing. I had you with me, someone that could dispose of them like the trash they were instead of some other innocent girl who couldn't have fought them off. Hikaru's breakup was my fault. I've got no one to blame but me for that one," she said fixed on that one. Kuon didn't like how they broke up and disagreed though he didn't know all the real details. She added one more thing, "and Murasame's attack wasn't my fault. He is simply a much darker person that he looks."

Kuon was still a little confused until she said her next few words, "It's not your fault either." She pulled his hands around her, placed lightly at her back. She crawled up onto the couch, with her knees between his legs. Her arms hooked around his neck as she kneeled in front of him. "It's not your fault that everyone had these high expectations of you. I will say that your expectations of doing as good as Father with no real effort is your fault. Shame on you!" she said with an angry little pout making him smile again. "But Rick's death is not your fault. Rick was trying to make you stronger. He wanted to teach you how to get passed all your troubled times without wallowing in self pity. Stronger meant fighting back and things got out of hand. There was no way you could have known that the car was going to hit him. It's not your fault."

"If I had stopped when he told me to..." Kuon whispered but couldn't finish.

"If! As in a reaction to something that you don't know will or could happen in the future. Therefore, you will never be happy unless you could tell the future. Until then you are always going to live in regret of all the things you wish you could change. If I didn't eat that, I wouldn't be sick. If I didn't turn left, then I wouldn't have gotten in that accident and ruined my car. So many things could be fixed if only you could see the future," she said wishfully.

"Yeah, I get it. We can't change the past, so why dwell on it as if you could," Kuon grumbled. The conversation suddenly getting lighter.

"No, really. I'm being serious. When you get the ability to see the future, you must tell me mine. Will Love's Rival make it big? Will it help me get out of playing the bad girl roles? Oh, you must tell me if I get to play a princess," she said jokingly. Kuon sat there with a bored face as she went overboard with her point. "Finally, you have to warn me if anything bad will happen to me, like falling in love with the wrong man. Otherwise it will be all your fault."

"Alright, it's not my fault. That still doesn't make me feel any less guilty or any less wrong. I still did things to those men. I hurt them and then hunted them down long after they surrendered. I'm every bit of a monster as BJ," Kuon said softly.

"The fact that you feel remorse after six years states otherwise," she told him, but it looked like he didn't believe her. Kyoko started to laugh. He shot her a questioning look and she shook her head. "You've always had a temper. I remember when I told you about my mother yelling at me for getting less than a 100 in school. You were actually really angry even at ten years old. I thought it was because of me, that you understood her point of view, and I started to cry wishing that I was smarter to please her and you. As soon as those tears came out, your emotions switched like a light, and you flew for me to make me smile."

"I was angry at her, not you," he clarified with a soft whisper.

"I know," she replied and pulled herself in to hug him. His head landed high on her chest as she cradled him in her arms. "I know that now. I've known about your bad temper for a long time, and I still..." her voice dropped off as her mouth moved into his hair. He felt her jaw move, words still forming, but he couldn't hear them. Kuon pulled away to look at her face. She was smiling softly at him.

"You still what? I couldn't hear you," he asked. Her eyes flickered away, and the smile wilted slightly.

"I'm still here. Your devoted kohai and friend," she said cheerily. Kuon smiled and nodded. He hugged her one more time, inhaling her scent before letting her go. They really needed to head back on set, or else they would have to do the stunt tomorrow. When they returned onto the set, everyone started getting to work. They didn't apologize for their behavior but then neither did Murasame.

Before Cain left Setsu's side, he pulled her close and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Thank you, Kyoko." She nodded and gently pushed him off with a smile.

She sighed to herself as she watched him. _I'm still completely in love with you._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, I made Murasame into a complete asshole. I do believe this is OOC. I think he is a really nice guy, and something about him will be interesting, but until then... He's an asshole in my story. **


	31. Oops

Chapter 31

Cain and Murasame were at the top of green warehouse. Cain was getting strapped in a harness that would help ease his fall to the mat below, while Murasame was stretching for the scene.

"Alright, we are going to film the fall here. Murasame-san will **lightly**," Konoe stressed the word, "flip you over him, and you will fall back onto the mat below. Don't worry about how fast you are falling, the mat and harness will ease the impact. Once you hit, lay still while Kouji looks down at your body," the director explained.

Again Setsu told Cain everything in English, and Cain nodded. The excess crew all left the area leaving only the two stars to face each other down.

"Did you have a nice little nooner?" Murasame jested spitefully. "I wish I had a little sexpot to..."

"Shut up," Cain barked in Japanese. "You don't talk about her, don't speak to her, don't approach her, don't even look at her. It shouldn't matter if she is my sister or not, I love her, and you don't fuck with another man's woman. Fucking leave us alone."

Murasame wasn't able to reply, and in all honestly couldn't think of anything to say. Director Konoe yelled out through a megaphone calling for places. The animosity between the two didn't settle. As they got into position, everyone could see the sparks flying between the two men. Once again, Murasame's right foot was placed on BJ's stomach and his hands gripped the tattered trench coat. BJ's knife was descending upon him and Murasame pushed, flipping BJ, feet first, over him and the ledge of the building. BJ's body made a perfect arch above him, launching him perfectly passed the building and falling faced up onto the mat below.

"CUT!" Konoe called out as Murasame moved to look over the edge. Both men turned to look at the director as he spoke. "Murasame-san, you are not supposed to be glaring at BJ angrily. You are frightened and fighting for your life. This is Kouji's last desperate attempt to survive the encounter. Let's do it again."

Murasame turned to his back and slammed his fist on the surface beneath him. _How completely unprofessional. Kuu would be so disgusted with me. I'm disgusted with me. Letting my personal feelings affect my work. All because of some freaky relationship with that girl. _He took several deep breaths to calm himself down. When Cain was ready to start again, the harness readjusted, he was ready to get to work.

They got into position again, but this time Cain noticed a difference in Murasame. He didn't like getting a NG. Ren almost liked him for that - almost. He was still going to kill him if he got the chance. Everything was set, and Cain looked around. He frowned, noticing that something was different this time, something was off. Before he could figure it out, Director Konoe called out action. Cain tightened his gut for the force of Murasame's foot, moved with the flow and noticed what was wrong. They were too far from the ledge. He was going to hit his...

Setsu watched the scene for the second time, clearly upset that Mura-baka had ruined the scene. _First he causes a delay in the shoot by staying those stupid things and now he isn't in character. What an incompetent idiot. _ She couldn't see Cain's expression as they started, but noticed his body move differently, or try to move differently; however, Murasame had most of the control, launching Cain over him. What was completely unexpected was the thump everyone heard as Cain's head hit the ledge of the metal frame making up the building and him crumbling to the edge of the mat below and the side of the building.

**"CAIN!" ** Setsu screamed out like a banshee and burst into a full speed run to the set. A few other crew members also rushed over to him as soon as he landed.

"Don't move him."

"Call the ambulance."

"He's bleeding."

"Cain, Cain," Setsu cried as she crawled over to him. Her hands hovered over his still form as everyone scrambled around him. They were right, there was blood. Blood was steadily dripping from his head staining the green screen and matting down his hair. Tears streamed down her face, and she didn't care. _Oh God, he's hurt. Kuon is hurt. He's bleeding, and it's not stopping. _Her hand wanted to touch him. She wanted to stop the bleeding. She looked around and couldn't find anything to stop it with. Not caring about anyone or anything, she pulled off her shirt, leaving her only in her bra and balled it up. She gently placed it to the back of his head and sobbed softly.

"Where is the ambulance?" she yelled out. It's been hours, why wasn't it here yet. Actually it's been less then five minutes, but all she could think of was how motionless he was. She didn't want to move him either, but she couldn't stand there and do nothing either. She reached over and gently combed back his hair. It looked like he was a sleep, like nothing was hurting him at all and her heart lurched. Kyoko leaned down and placed her forehead on his shoulder.

"Don't die. Don't leave me," she cried softly as she held her shirt against his head. Much to her relief, he started to move. He groaned and slowly rolled over to his back. Kyoko adjusted her shirt, letting him set his head on the softer surface. Her heart was racing as he finally moved. She smiled at him and whispered, "Cain, you're alright, right?"

Cain blinked trying to look at her face, but it was fuzzy. He saw her, crying, worried and pale with fright and wanted to comfort her. He lifted his hand to her face, cupped it gently making her smile. "Kyoko," he whispered softly with a soft smile and then blacked out.

The ambulance came within ten minutes. They almost prevented Kyoko from getting in but the director vouched for her, stating she was his sister. The ride was the most stressful thing she had ever encountered. The techs were all over him, setting him up on an IV, putting his neck in a brace and checking over his vitals. She had to stay away, to let them work but she couldn't stop herself from touching him. She had to make sure he was still alive, still warm and breathing. The heart monitor wasn't enough for her peace of mind. She held his hand not only for herself but also for him. He had to know that she was here with him.

The techs gave her a little blanket to cover up with. Her shirt was ruined though she didn't care. When they arrived at the hospital, they forced her to stay in the waiting room, instead of by him. The moment Kyoko lost contact with his hand, she never felt so cold in her life.

Two hours.

It was the worse two hours of her life. If she thought about it logically, then two hours wasn't a bad wait to find out what happened, but for her it was like waiting two lifetimes. When the doctor came, she wasn't alone anymore. As soon as she gained some sort of intelligence, she called President Takarada and explained what had happened. He told her to continue the Heel ruse and that he would take care of everything. Within twenty minutes, he was by her side.

"You are Heel Cain's sister?" The doctor came out with a chart and looked at Setsuka.

"Yes, yes," she confirmed as she ran to him. "How is he? Is he okay? Where is he? Can I see him?"

"He's stable. Nothing permanent, but he does have a severe concussion," he stated and looked at the taller man behind the petite woman. "Who is this?" He asked motioning to the man behind her.

"This is our uncle," Kyoko quickly answered and then returned a question to the doctor, "Can I see him?"

"Well, I rather you didn't. You see he is still unconscious and that could lead to a coma if it continues. It would be best to keep him in the ICU and we'll call you as soon as he wakes up," he informed him, and Kyoko wanted to cry.

"Please, could I see him for a minute? I promise I won't disturb him," she pleaded and the doctor started to shake his head. Kyoko wanted to scream and rant but Lory put a hand on her shoulder stopping her from whatever she was going to say.

"May I have a word with you Doctor Ishida?" Lory stepped up and smiled at the doctor. Kyoko watched them head down the isle. She stayed put but watched the two men talk. Again the doctor shook his head as Lory continued to talk. He pulled out a card and handed it to the doctor. It was then that they turned and started to walk back towards her.

"It seems that private arrangements will be made, Heel-san. As soon the private room is completed you may stay with your brother," Doctor Ishida stated with a rather forced voice, but she didn't care. She smiled brightly and launched herself right at Lory.

"Thank you! Thank you so much sir," she cried and then really started to cry. Lory smiled gently at the girl and petted her head softly.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Lory whispered softly. Kyoko pulled away and shook her head.

"I'd like to stay here, to wait here just in case he wakes up or the room is ready," she told him.

"Setsuka-chan, the room is going to take some time and I think he would like seeing you fully dressed and clean when he wakes up. I promise we will be back here long before either of those things happen," Lory reasoned with her. When she didn't budge, he added, "it would only upset him more if he saw you like this."

To that she agreed. He took her to the nearest hotel, which ended up being some five star resort. Sebastian and Jelly were there with a sympathetic smile and a warm smile, respectively. She took a shower while Sebastian went out and got new clothes for her. They bought more reserved comfortable clothing, but fitting for Setsuka. Black chained boots, stone washed jeans, a studded belt and a loose fitting black top with rips and tears in strategic places. It was either designed to be oversized or they got a size too large, but it was comfortable even if it fell off her shoulder.

She had to stay as Setsuka for her stay there, but the doctors had assured them that the stay wouldn't be long if he woke up within the next twelve hours. It's been five hours since the accident, leaving six hours for that window. The three of them all stayed with Kyoko in the waiting room while they waited for the okay to see him. They talked among themselves since Kyoko didn't want to speak. Well Jelly and Lory spoke. Sebastian was always quiet, yet he was also very considerate. He brought her a cup of coffee and something to eat, though she couldn't stomach much.

"I've called Yashiro-san and while he was extremely upset that he couldn't come over, he wishes for his client's safety. He is currently canceling all of your jobs for the next week, just in case," Lory stated.

"A week? Do you really think it's going to be a week before he's..." Kyoko started with a panicked voice.

"No," he quickly said, stopping her sentence. "But even after he is released from the hospital I want him to take it easy. I also believe you deserve a break after such an experience."

Kyoko nodded in understanding and then frowned. "Why can't Yashiro-san come over? You three being here already sort of ruins the secret, doesn't it? You even gave the doctor your card."

"That was the card of a medical supplier. I had the good doctor call them up to prove them with whatever they needed to make sure he had a private room," Lory replied.

"And I'm not apart of the company," Jelly informed her and then answered for the two men, "and no one is going to recognized these two with my handy work." Kyoko looked at the two men. Lory was dressed like a wicked yakuza lord. A sleek black suit with so many rings and chains around him that he was sparkling. He had on a white shirt with the collar opened wide at the neck. She also saw the scary accurate detail of tattoos peeking out from his shirt and cuffs. While Sebastian was wearing a long sleeved black shirt with the collar lifted up around his neck. A platinum chain sparkled around his neck, drawing attention to him and his dark colored skin. His hair was greased back sleek and perfect. A perfect pair of black slacks and polished boots made him look like a professional arms dealer than a thug. Setsuka and Cain Heel had some creepy connections in Tokyo.

She didn't really have to respond. It's true, they didn't look like the professional president and his assistant of an entertainment agency... or rather they fit it perfectly. It all depended how you looked at it. Yashiro-san was too closely tied with Tsuruga Ren. If the press saw him heading to the hospital, no doubt that they would assume Ren was involved. That was too close to the truth to risk it. Lory continued to fill the silence telling her that the Tragic Marker shoot was also postponed until further notice.

It was almost 1 in the morning when they finally allowed her to see Kuon. Kyoko and Lory were the only ones escorted to his private room, as the other two weren't "family". The moment that Kyoko was able to see into the room, tears started to run down her face.

"Corn," she breathed with a little sob. She walked over and once again wasn't sure if she was allowed to touch him.

"It's fine," Doctor Ishida reassured her knowing what she wanted. She gently took his right hand in both of her hands and kneeled down beside the bed. She put her forehead on his hand and cried softly while looking up at him. Lory's heart was torn. He wanted to rejoice at the pure look of love on her face and at the same time cry with her as the man she loved was lying in bed with a possible coma. He moved over to Kyoko and pulled up a chair so she could sit in it.

"As I said, he is stable," Doctor Ishida explained, "He hit the top of his head rather hard, jogging his brain which caused the unconsciousness. We had to give him 4 stitches but the laceration should heal quickly. Once his hair grows back, he won't even notice. The neck brace is for precaution only. The X-ray showed nothing wrong but with a hit like that, he might be sore. Again, if he wakes up by morning, then we have nothing to worry about. However, if things persist, well, we'll try some new things if it comes to that. He wasn't injured from the fall, so the rest of his body is fine. He is a perfectly healthy young man."

Kyoko was looking at everything as the doctor said it. She stood up and looked at the top of his head. There was a white patch that was taped to the spot they had to shave his hair and she saw the neck brace the moment she entered the room. Other than that, he looked fine. As if he was going to wake up and smile at her any minute now. Then he would ask when he could get back to work. Kyoko took the seat offered to her as if she just now noticed it. She leaned over the bed and set her head on their combined hands.

Lory thanked the doctor. Thanked him for the privacy and the special guest allowance for Kyoko to stay with Ren. The doctor couldn't really argue, not with a new MRI scanner coming in to the hospital, all for a little privacy. One girl staying with her brother won't ruin the hospital either. Lory left momentarily to inform Sebastian and Jelly that they were fine. He was going to stay for a little bit, for support or in case something unexpected might happen with the hospital. He also informed Sebastian that he was to be contacted for emergencies only. They left with a few words of comfort.

He sat silently in the room, in the farthest corner out of Kyoko and Ren's way. Kyoko's eyes slowed leaving only a few sobs or hiccups here or there. Her face never left his, nor did her hands from their grip. If she noticed him there, then she never made any effort to make the atmosphere more comfortable. Not that it was unpleasant, but it wasn't a cheery tea party either. Lory was fine as things were. The white hum of the air conditioning cooling the room, the steady beat of Ren's strong heart beat and the soft sounds of Kyoko's love for the man in the bed.

Lory knew that she had fallen in love. The way she acted around him and spoke about him clearly stated that she was in love, but how she was acting now. It seems that she finally accepted that fact. She didn't care that someone, who knew her real identity, was currently watching her cry over a man. All that mattered to her right now was if and when Ren was going to wake up.

The biggest question was, did Ren finally accept his love for her? The only reason Lory kept planting Kyoko around him was because he was in love with her. For that reason alone did he allow him to be around his number 1 LoveMe girl. If he treated the girls he didn't love like royalty, then he would treat the one he did love like a goddess. She needed someone to treat her like she was the only thing in his world, and while Ren loved acting. His love for Kyoko always took supremacy. Still, if he wasn't going to accept his past as the past, then he would never be able to provide her with what she deserved. Now that Kyoko was completely and openly in love with him, Ren needed to hurry and grow up.

Other questions flooded his head. Did they know that they loved each other? If so, have they confessed and were now together? He was sure that Ren would keep that a secret from him for the rest of his life if it were possible; however, no one could ever hide much from Lory Takarada, at least not for very long. If they were going out, then did she know who he was: his real name, who is father was and about his tragic past? He could have sworn that he heard her say the name Kuon, but then it also sounded like Corn, which didn't make much sense. So many questions and all he had to do was ask the weeping girl in front of him. Yet, now was not the right time. He was content with the knowledge he has gained today. She loved him. He loved her. Nothing in this world will stop them from being together with that in mind. No matter how many obstacles they threw in front of themselves. It was only a matter of time before they couldn't stand the thought of being apart anymore.

When Lory started to doze off, he felt it was time to go. He stood up and walked over to Kyoko. She lifted her head and looked up at the President with big red swollen eyes. He smiled down at her and the hand she refused to let go. "I'm leaving. You are free to stay here until Cain is discharged. Remember that the hospital believes you are the Heels. The bill is already taken care of so when they let him go, you are free to head home."

"Thank you, President Takarada," she whispered in a husky voice. He nodded with an endearing smile and patted her head softly. When he left, he left a request to get something for her to sleep on in the room.

It was about twenty minutes later when a low cot was set up for her. She politely thanked the staff but felt no desire to sleep on it. First, she doubt she could sleep. Second, it was so low to the ground verses the bed Kuon was on, she wouldn't be able to see him properly. No, she wasn't letting him go. She felt if she did, things would come crashing down around her.

Kyoko needed to stretch after a few hours hunched over the edge of the bed. She stood up but kept in contact; however, she was tempted to release his hand. They were drenched in sweat and was starting to get uncomfortable. She looked around finding no one around them. The hospital was sound asleep in the middle of the night with no threat from anyone. She stood up and popped her back with a satisfied sigh. She then lifted his hand up, bending his arm at the elbow and sat down on the bed very carefully. He didn't even move, his breathing and heart beat stable. Kyoko turned his hand downward and placed it gently above her knee. The warm of his hand seeped through her jeans and made her smile warmly. She let go of hand and the cold air instantly chilled the sweat. She used her shirt to wipe off the wetness and then dried his hand as well.

She twisted towards him, lifting her knee up to the bed to look down on his face. He wasn't bruised or anything, but the neck brace was a heavy reminder of his state. She tentatively reached out and ran strands of his hair through her fingertips. As she pet him absentmindedly, she felt him squeeze her knee. She gasped lightly and looked at her knee. His hand didn't move again so she looked at his face. Nothing. He was still fast asleep. She licked her lips and called out to him.

"Cain," she asked softly, but nothing still. She pressed her lips together and looked around again. When nothing was found once again, she gently leaned down to his ear and whispered, "Kuon."

She pulled herself up and looked at his face. Not a thing, nothing different happened at all. Kyoko took a deep breath and was instantly hypnotized with the smell of him. The rich deep masculine smell of him wrapped around her, taking over the odd hospital smell in her nose. She purposely leaned down to his chest and breathed deeply. She moaned softly and started to rub her cheek against his chest. Her body instinctively moved up onto the bed, moving closer to the warmth and comfort his body offered. Her mind knew that he was fine physically, so it didn't object to her lying next to him. She cradled herself at his side, her shoulder under his arm, her head lower on his chest than on his shoulder because of his neck. Her arm wrapped around his torso, and she fell asleep within seconds.


	32. Awake

Chapter 32

Kuon woke up with a massive headache and a little nauseous. He blinked and was instantly assaulted with searing pain as light pierced right into his brain. He tried to lift his right arm so he could shade some of the light and adjust to it, but it was pinned down. He lifted his left and found something was fastened to it but moved rather freely. He put his left hand over his eyes and blinked while his right felt around to what was pinning it.

He felt warmth and cloth and as his body started to wake up the object was alive and breathing against his chest. He forced his eyes to hurry up and adjust but was still blinded with uncharacteristic pain when he looked at the person sleeping with him. Blonde hair tinted with pink. Small body, very female based on the way his hand dipped over her hip to her waist. He had to close his eyes again as the pain started to make him very queasy. He groaned out loud and started to cough at the dryness of his mouth. That woke up the girl.

She snapped up, but he couldn't see her with the bright morning light streaming through the windows. "Cain?" She called out, and he was confused. _Cain? Who's Cain?_

"Oh, God, Cain," she cried. "You're okay. I was so scared. I thought I lost you forever. That you would never wake up. You're okay!" She exclaimed and started crying against his chest as she hugged him gently.

"Light," he croaked softly.

"Ah, sorry! I'll get it." The girl lifted herself off his chest, and he felt her move off the bed. Her feet made no sounds as they move but the light dimmed leaving the room in a light shade. He blinked with his hand over his eyes and found it easier to see. He slowly removed his hand and found that he could see. He looked around and identified a hospital room. Then the girl appeared next to him with a glass of water and a straw.

As soon as he saw her, he recognized her. "Kyoko," he whispered hoarsely. She smiled brightly at him but her eyes flickered nervously to the door.

"It's Setsu, remember?" she reminded him with a little bit of urgency in her voice. He didn't quite understand why she was calling herself Setsu, but his mind wasn't really awake yet. He felt like there was a fog in his head, and the pain thrumming through it was helping him think either. She leaned down with the glass and held the straw for him to take a drink. Kuon tried to sit up and found it extremely difficult. His head swam and his neck wouldn't bend like it was supposed to.

"Easy, roll to the side a little," she advised him, and he followed. They were able to give him some water which tasted like the sweetest of wines. After a few more swallows, she set the glass down.

"I'm going to get the doctor and tell him you are awake," she told him but he took her hand before she could go.

"Kyoko, what happened?" He asked trying to make sense of everything.

"You hit your head while doing the stunt with Murasame. You've been unconscious for two full days," she informed him. Kuon frowned as he tried to process what she said. _Two days? Hit my head? What stunt?_

"I don't remember that," he whispered softly.

It was Kyoko's turn to frown. She licked her lips and walked back to Kuon. "What do you remember?"

"Um, everything but that," he replied but she wasn't sure. For one he kept calling her by her real name instead of Setsu.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Tsuruga Ren," he replied quickly.

She nodded, thankful that he remembered that. If he knew his stage name, then he was sane enough to not reveal he was Kuon. "Who am I dressed as?"

He had to look at her. She was wearing a white top that plastered to her body. It had long sleeves with little laces that tied to each side of her arms. Next were a pair of black leather pants that he remembered buying for her. "Setsuka Heel," he finally replied. She let out a relieved sigh and nodded.

"You are admitted here as Cain Heel, so I had to stay as Setsuka to stay with you. When the doctor comes in, please remember that you are Cain Heel," she informed him. He tried to nod but any movement of his head sent flashes of pain through it.

"I'm not sure I can act right now," he groaned.

"It's fine. Just be yourself. You don't have to play nice like Ren or act mean as Cain. Relax and ask your questions. President Takarada already took care of everything so your real identity won't be compromised," she told him. "I'm going to get the doctor now." Kyoko smiled softly and stepped out of the room.

Kuon smiled as memories started to flood back to him. _That's right, she knows my secret. _When she told him he didn't have to play nice, it shocked him for a moment. Then his body started to relax and a lovely comfort came over him. She came back with the doctor in tow. His heart started to increase and the little heart monitor went to match it's pace.

"That's a good sign," the doctor said with a smile and turned on the light. Kuon groaned and shot his hands over his eyes. Kyoko immediately turned it off. "Oo, sorry." He walked to the other door and turned on the light to the bathroom letting it drift in. "Is that okay?" He asked. It took Kuon a bit to get rid of the first flash that occurred, and then to adjust to the new light, but it was fine.

"Good, I'll have the nurse bring in some protective glasses for you. Until then, we will speak like this. I'm Doctor Ishida," he introduced himself and started to tell Kuon everything that happened to him and then asked how he was currently feeling.

"My head hurts and light makes it worse. I also feel really nauseous. I tried to sit up and felt dizzy." Kuon informed him with the doctor writing things down on his chart.

"He didn't know how the accident happened either. Is that normal?" Kyoko chimed in. She couldn't tell him that he didn't know who he was, since that wasn't really true. He knew his stage name and after a moment remembered her and Cain's name. However, the stun he did with Murasame never came to mind.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Ishida asked curiously.

"I remember talking to Setsuka in the dressing room after that it's sort of fuzzy," he said honestly. He knew he had to have went on stage, knew what stunt he was supposed to perform but not how the accident happened.

"How long ago was that?" the doctor asked Setsuka.

"A couple hours before the fall," she answered making him nod.

"That's not unusual then, to forget the events before and after the injury. It's nothing really to be concerned about. The lights, headache, and nausea is all normal as well. While you don't know this, you are probably sensitive to noise as well, but all of that will disappear. The dizziness can either be your head or hunger. How does your neck feel?" Ishida asked.

"Stiff," he replied. Ishida smiled and came over.

"Let's take off the brace, and I would like you to move your head very slowly to the left and right," he instructed. As soon as the brace came off, Ishida's hands splayed up and down his neck and Kuon did as he was told. He move his head left and right and Ishida asked him to tilt his head forward very slowly. "No pain?"

"No," Kuon replied.

"Good, then there was no damage to your neck, so this is meaningless. The nurse will be in to take some blood. Take it easy and do things at your heads pace. If it hurts, don't do it. Simple right?" Doctor Ishida jested making Kyoko smile. Kuon nodded and was forced to close his eyes at the pain.

"See, like that. Don't nod," he smiled. "I'll be back to check in on you later."

Kyoko thanked the doctor as he left and went to turn off the light in the bathroom.

"You can leave that on," he told her, and she frowned.

"Are you sure? We don't have to have any lights on if it's uncomfortable for you," she said hesitantly.

"It's fine. I want to get over this quickly. At least I can move my neck now," he said pleased. She left the light on but wasn't happy with his stubbornness.

"Corn, please don't force yourself," Kyoko pleaded. "You've been out for two days with a serious head injury. Take things slowly. We have the week off from everything and more if you need it."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I promise, I'll take it easy." He agreed easily. There was no way he could say no to that sweet face and the cute way she said his nickname.

Kyoko blinked thinking that was a little too easy, but smiled brightly. "I'm going to get us something to eat. Since you are feeling queasy, I'll make sure it's light," she promised and headed for the door.

"Kyoko," he called out to her.

"Setsu!" she scolded him.

"Then shouldn't you call me Cain?" He countered jokingly making her frown.

"Sorry, you're right," she said sadly and then opened the door, blinding him again from the hall light. "I'll be back. I promise, Cain, then we can talk." She left before he could say what he wanted to say, or in this case, do what he wanted to do. He wanted to touch her again. As his mind started to think, he remembered that he had woken up with her curled up next to him. He wasn't able to fully appreciate it at the moment and instantly regretted it. She kept her distance the whole time. The only closeness was to give him something to drink.

Kyoko went out of the hospital for food. She ate the meals from the cafeteria in the building and was revolted. Thankfully, she was so depressed that she didn't care about what went into her stomach, as long as it kept her going. This time, she did care, especially about what went into Kuon's stomach. Plus, she was so happy that he was awake, she wanted to celebrate with a real meal. It took longer than she would have liked but she came back while the nurse was drawing blood.

"Good afternoon, Setsuka-chan," the older nurse smiled brightly at the young, oddly dressed, girl. After two days, Nurse Aikawa Saki had gotten to know the sweet young girl. Well, she got to know her deep affections for the young man in the bed. That was all she ever spoke about. After all of her words about her "brother," the wiser older woman knew that her blood relation was a hoax to keep by her lover's side. It didn't bother her any. It was rather sweet to see a young girl so in love. She could only hope that he ended up alright and loved her as much she did.

"Good Afternoon, Aikawa-san," Kyoko replied with the brightest, most genuine smile that Saki has ever seen from her. The news of her love waking up was sure to bring a smile to her face. It was no wonder this handsome man was in love with such a girl. She was beautiful when she smiled.

"I've got food!" Kyoko said like it was something to be celebrated. Nurse Aikawa laughed as she filled a second tube with his blood. It was quick with his blood pressure rising the moment Kyoko walked into the room. Saki smiled as the little heart monitor gave away his emotions with an increase tempo. _He loves her too, _she thought happily. She looked at him half his face covered with large dark red glasses. He was smiling widely, and while she couldn't see his eyes, she was sure they were sparkling.

"Alright," she started as she pulled the vial out, place a cotton ball over the puncture point and withdrew the needle. She put a bandage over it and then started to pack her things. "I'm all done. I'll leave you two to enjoy your meal." She patted Kuon's hand and spoke softly to him, "I'm very happy you are awake. You made the world a little darker with the loss of her smile."

Kuon turned to her with a soft smile and replied quietly, "I'll never make her sad again."

Saki giggled "Ah, I'm so jealous," she exclaimed with a sigh. _To be young and in love again. _

Kyoko frowned at the older woman confused. She was taking out all the take out containers setting them up on the little table on the side, so she had no idea why Nurse Aikawa would suddenly say that.

"Jealous? About what?" Kyoko asked clueless.

"Your food," she lied. "It smells delicious, and it's not my lunch break yet. I must take my leave before I steal it all."

Kyoko laughed as the nurse gathered her things and left them alone. She walked over to the front door and turned off the light.

"You don't have to do that, I've got these nifty things now," Kuon said and playfully wiggled the glasses.

Kyoko snorted at the childish action. "Those can't be comfortable. I don't mind being in the dark, and you're still okay with the bathroom light on right?"

"Yes, but wouldn't you rather eat in the light?" He countered and she shook her head. _I rather see your face then my meal. _She turned off the light to answer his question. The bathroom light was still one, so she was able to walk around without any issues. Kuon took off his glasses and blinked a little to adjust his eyes to what light was around. He turned to his left to see Kyoko's beautiful figure being illuminated by the yellow bathroom light. When she pulled everything out, she turned towards him.

"Okay, let's sit you up," she said determined. Kuon frowned.

"I'm sure I'm well enough to sit up," he stated stubbornly and quickly found out that he was wrong. He made it about twenty degrees from the pillow and his head swam. He groaned, and his hand flew to his head trying to hold himself together.

"Slowly!" she snapped and came over. "And what are you doing trying to actually sit up? I was going to lift the bed. It's adjustable." Kyoko bent down and took the little remote from the bed frame and showed it to him. Kuon felt like an idiot. He laid back down as she tilted the remote towards the light to find the right button. It wasn't long before he was slowly being bent up, slowly and much easier than his attempt. Once he was up, she put the remote back and leaned forward to adjust his pillow.

Kuon no longer felt like a fool and felt more like he was in heaven. Her arms caged around his head with her smiling face in front of his. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek as she finished. Kyoko blushed and cupped his hand over her face with both of her hands. With the acceptance of his first touch, he went in for more. He twisted and took her right elbow while his left hand dropped from her cheek and secured her waist. He pulled her onto the bed with unknown strength and hugged her.

"Corn?" she whispered softly, questioning his actions but not fighting them either.

"I'm so sorry, Kyoko," he whispered softy to her.

"For what?"

"I promised you that I wasn't going to get hurt in a stunt, and all I did was get hurt and make you worry. I'm sorry," he told her sincerely making her smile. Kyoko wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.

"I accept," she said without argument which made him smile unsure.

"Really? Just like that? Nothing about "It was an accident" or "It's not your fault"," he asked stunned.

Kyoko pulled away and shook her head. "Nope. You did make that promise, and you broke it. It was an accident, so there is nothing to be sorry for there, but the promise. I accept your apology for breaking your promise."

Kuon smiled and laughed softly. "When did you become wise?"

"I'm not wise," she stated almost sadly. "If I was, well things would be different." She slipped off the bed and headed to the food.

"Different? How?"

Kyoko shrugged as she put his food containers on the narrow moving table. She pushed it to the bed and over his lap as she responded, "I don't know. I would hope that with wisdom, I would make better choices." She opened the container of soup. "I got you clear soup. I asked if they had congee but no one really sells that. I bought some items that were soft, easy to eat and very mild. So eat what you can, and we'll go from there," she told him as she set down rice, soft tofu and some baked fish.

"You did well choosing the meal," he said with a little smile making her laugh softly.

"It does smell good, doesn't it," she stated with a smile. She turned to sit at the table in the corner. "All I had to eat was the hospital food, and I must say... be thankful you didn't have to eat it. Ugh." She made a sour face and stuck out her tongue. She sat down and popped the top off her soba bowl.

"You're not going to eat with me?" Kuon said in a sad childish voice making Kyoko smile.

"Um, I didn't want to bother you. The table is small, and well, I'd have to sit on the bed," she said with a blush.

"Please eat with me," he begged cutely. Kyoko smiled at her meal and nodded._ How could anyone say no to that?_ She picked up her bowl of soki soba and walked over. She set her bowl down and climbed onto the bed on the other side of Kuon's little table. Then started eating, though Kuon found it difficult at first. He wanted to lean in and take his bites, but as soon as he did, his head yelled at him. He had to stay back and carefully bring the food to his mouth. It was easier to simply pick up the bowl and drink it straight out of the container.

"I guess I should be acting more like Setsuka," Kyoko said as she saw him eat like Cain. "I'm sorry I was so out of character with the staff here. It's that things were rather difficult, and I didn't have the heart to act her out properly."

Kuon put his almost depleted soup down. "Don't be. We are only in this situation by name because it's safest. I rather we keep it to names and not personalities. I don't have it in me to think like anyone else other than me."

She smiled and nodded softly. "So is this Ren or Corn speaking?"

Kuon opened his mouth to say Corn but hesitated. He had to think about it but couldn't. He was having trouble trying to get his head straight, so he replied honestly, "I don't know actually."

"How could you not know?" She asked confused.

"Well, it's rather hard to concentrate, but Kuon is ruled by his emotions while Ren is cool and collected no matter the situation. I don't feel especially angry, but I can't focus on being Ren either. I honestly don't know. Perhaps Ren has become natural for me now," he finished with a happy tone. He rather liked that idea. For Ren, the good personality, to come out naturally rather than this violent original one.

Kyoko frowned slightly, but accept his answer. She didn't want to over work his mind with psychological questions. "Can you eat anymore?" She asked curiously. He shook his head. They were both rather impressed with what he ate. The soup was gone, he nibbled the fish and tofu and ate a bit the rice. For feeling nauseous, he ate an adequate meal. However, as she looked at the meal, she found herself still hungry.

"Um, do you mind?" She pointed at the meal, making him blink.

"Be my guest," he told her, and she picked up her chopsticks again. She grabbed the rice and started eating, slipping in pieces of the fish or tofu in between.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked with concern.

"Um, yesterday I think," she answered after a moment. "I'm not sure. I remember the sun was still out, but it was slowly growing dark. I guess around 8 last night."

Kuon looked at the clock. It was now two in the afternoon. He looked at her again and noticed the bags under her eyes and her skin was a little pale. She didn't look any skinnier, but she was obviously not eating or sleeping well. "Were you here the whole time?"

Kyoko was reluctant to answer honestly. If she told him the truth, he would simply apologize again; however, if she lied, he would be upset once he found out the truth. Once again, there really was no reason to debate on the question. She nodded. "Yeah, but please don't apologize. I wanted to be here. I..." she licked her lips nervously. "I couldn't leave you here alone," she confessed. She was embarrassed and couldn't look at his face. She waited patiently for his apology but was pleasantly surprised with his response.

"Thank you, Kyoko," he whispered softly and reached out for her hand. She looked at his hand and then up at him. He was smiling that heart racing smile of his, and it effected her appropriately. She set her food down and took his hand with a bashful smile.

"Would you sit with me?" He asked out of the blue, and she laughed.

"I am sitting with you," she pulled her hand out of his and patted his shin, "see. I'm right here."

"No, over here, would you sit next to me?" Again that sweet childish voice made it hard for her to say no. She slipped off the bed and moved to the other side of the table. She had to move it a little to sit on the bed next to him but managed. Kyoko thought that simply sitting next to him was enough, but Kuon wanted more. He lifted his left arm, the one with the IV drip and moved over slightly to his right. He was making room for her to snuggle up against him. She could feel her face erupt in flames, but she obliged. She wanted to and so did he. Once she settled next to him, he nuzzled her hair with his nose and hugged her tightly with his left arm. He also thoughtfully pulled the table back over, so she could continue eating.

Kyoko couldn't help the huge smile on her lips as she started to eat again. He was being so utterly adorable, and sweet and caring and ugh, she couldn't get her heart to stop racing. Thank the gods that she wasn't tied up to a heart monitor. It would be humming instead of beating. Still, her mind wanted to question things. Who was he acting like? Cain was never this sweet. He touched her, but it wasn't combined with sweet smiles and playful boyish faces. Ren was the owner of that devastating, heart thumping smile, so that only left Kuon. She stilled as she started to think about her childhood fairy. She really didn't know Kuon, not the adult version of him. From what he told her, he as violent and cruel, soulless like BJ. While she thought his performance of BJ was bone chilling, to think that something like that lived in this wonderful, caring, hardworking man seemed wrong. He said that Kuon was ruled by his emotions, negative ones to be exact. Why only those? Could he be ruled by the positive ones too like humor, happiness, love? What would he be like if he was ruled by his feelings of love?

Kyoko blushed and turned her head slightly away from him to try and hide it. She was thankful that the lights weren't on, but it wasn't that dark. _Bad Kyoko! _ _You shouldn't be thinking about that again. Just be happy that he is here with you, even as a friend. _ She reminded herself. The room was quiet except for the rhythm of Ren's heartbeat. Kyoko frowned. _Which is rather slow, _she noticed. She looked over at it and then turned to look at him. She snorted softly.

He fell asleep. She took like two bites, and he was already sound asleep. Okay, well her mind started wondering but that was quick. His arm fell behind her to cross her back, with his hand resting lightly on her hip. The length of her body was comfortably pressed against the length of his even though she was over the thin blankets. She contemplated moving, giving him the all of the bed, but the moment she tried, he tightened his grip around her. She stayed where she was for two reasons: one so he could sleep and two because she didn't want to leave.

Half way through Kuon's meal, Doctor Ishida came in with a soft knock at the door. He smiled at the scene. "Did he eat?"

"Yes," she replied in a whisper. "He ate rather well."

"Good, when did he fall asleep?"

"About ten minutes ago, why?" She asked curiously. The tone in his voice made her question it.

"It's nothing to worry about, but we like to keep a close eye on patients with a concussion when they are sleeping. They could slip back into a coma after waking up. Now don't be alarmed," he quickly added at the look of pure fear on Kyoko's face. "Just nudge him softly every hour, see if he responds by opening his eyes or saying something back. Any sign to say that his consciousness is still there and let him go back to sleep. I'm sure he doesn't want to leave a sweet girl like you alone for very long."

Kyoko blushed. She didn't understand why the whole staff teased her with comments like this. When Nurse Aikawa first met her she thought he was her boyfriend. Even after Kyoko clarified it, she would say little comments about how cute they are or how sweet she was for caring for him, as if it wasn't normal for a sister to do that. Now even the good doctor was teasing her. Ishida left saying he would come back before his shift ended, leaving them alone again. Kyoko was instantly worried about what he said. She looked at Kuon and saw that peaceful face and her mind went over the last two days again. She put her chopsticks down and lifted her hand to run her fingers down the length of his face.

"Kuon," she whispered softly. He shifted his head at her touch and replied with a little hum. Kyoko smiled happily and let him be. Everything was fine.


	33. Playing Sick

Chapter 33

The next 24 hours pasted by quickly. Kyoko woke up him every hour as instructed. She was able to slip past his embrace to take care of mother nature and clean up lunch. While she would have loved to slip back into bed with him, she stepped out of the room and called everyone. She felt a little ashamed that she didn't do this sooner - like the instant he woke up - sooner. It's been what? 6 hours now? Oh she was going to get an earful for that one.

She called Lory first. She updated him on his condition, told him that he had to stay for another 48 hours.

"That's wonderful. May I speak with him?" Lory asked.

"Ah, no. He ate and then fell asleep again. I'm sorry. I should have had him call you when he was eating," she apologized.

"Nonsense. I'll speak to him when he is feeling better. Stay with him and call me if you need anything. Anything at all, Mogami-kun," he clarified with a little threat, making Kyoko quickly agree.

The call to Yashiro-san was filled with thankful prayers and dozens of questions of his condition. She felt really bad that he couldn't be here, but Yashiro was happy that he didn't have to deal with the press about the incident. He stated that he could live with not seeing to his recovery.

"So long as you are there to help him every single step of the way. I'll be fine," Yashiro said with a smile.

"Absolutely! I do everything I can for him. Don't worry about a thing, Yashiro-san," Kyoko replied with earnest making the meddling manager laugh. As soon as she hung up, she contemplated calling Kuu. She had his number ever since his visit to Tokyo. He was Kuon's father, and he would definitely want to know that his son was hurt and unconscious for two days. Kyoko softly opened the door and looked into the room. Kuon was sound asleep, turned to his side away from the door. She closed her phone and stepped inside.

Kuon didn't want to contact his parents, and she had to respect that. No matter how wrong she felt it was, she rather them not know about this incident then lose contact with Kuon over something like this. She spent her time lost in her thoughts and watching him. It was around 8pm when two people stopped by for a visit. The first was Doctor Ishida who did as he promised and checked up on them. The second was Sebastian with two day's worth of clothing and another meal.

"Master told me you'll be here for two more days. Provisions for both of you, clothing and food. Please take care, Heel-san," Sebastian stated with a small smile. She thanked him repeatedly for coming all this way and for bringing her fresh clothes and food.

After setting the food on the table, she wanted to take a shower, but first she had to wake up Kuon. She stepped over to him and kneeled down on the ground before his face. She put the bed back down straight after she stepped off, and Kuon slept without a tussle. His right hand was resting between their faces, so this time she would use that. She gently slid her hand over his and turned it over so his palm faced up. She glanced at his face and saw no movement, so she gathered her fingers together in a point and placed them in the center of his palm, and then slowly slid them out until her hand laid flat against his hand. He twitched from her tickling his hand. That was probably enough, since he showed less reaction when he was unconscious, but she wasn't done. Kyoko shifted her fingers slightly so they would weave between his.

Lost in the feel of his warm hand and her desires, she squeezed his hand and he curled his fingers around hers. She smiled and brought the back of his hand to her lips. She pressed a small kiss on his skin and then rubbed her left cheek over it. She felt his hand move, his index finger extend and run across her hair line as she nuzzled him. She blinked and looked at him. Kuon's eyes were slightly open, and he was smiling softly at her. Again, her heart started to beat loudly. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he closed his eyes.

_Did I imagine that? _She asked herself but felt him move her hand now. She watched him slide their tethered hands over to his side and then she stopped breathing the moment his lips kissed her hand exactly like she did his. _I did not imagine that! _She started breathing heavily as panic surged through her. _He saw that! He saw me kiss him. He probably saw the stupid look in my face too. Why would he kiss my hand back? Was he teasing me? He's probably going to start to laugh at me. _She looked at him, braced for his bullying and blinked.

"He's asleep," she said softly. A huge breath rushed out of her lungs and she slumped on the edge of the bed. Her heart really couldn't take this anymore. It was going up and down, left and right, stopping and racing. All this indecision couldn't be healthy. Kyoko took several deep breaths and looked at Kuon again. He was sound asleep with her hand still caught in his. She wiggled her fingers and felt his hand slack. With some patience and a very gentle touch, she was freed. She collapsed on the cold floor and shook her head.

_Must be more careful, Kyoko, _she told herself. She left to take a shower. Kuon was still asleep when she came out and after she ate her meal. She was pleased to see that Sebastian had brought her congee for Kuon. She wondered if it was homemade or bought and if so, where did he buy it? It was almost 11, and Kyoko was having trouble staying awake. She had pulled the chair to be parallel to his bed and was plopped down in it and slowly drifting off. She couldn't watch TV and surfing the web on her phone was an eye strain and dull. She set her phone to alarm with the lowest tone possible at the next hour and closed her eyes. She instantly fell asleep.

Kuon woke up to a little noise ringing in the room. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and remembered where he was. In fact, everything was a lot clearer then it was a few hours ago, and that also meant his memory was better too. He started to look around the dark room to find Kyoko. When she wasn't to be seen he pushed himself up slightly only being braced by his elbow. If he was paying attention, he would have noticed that it didn't hurt to move to that point, but his mind was only concerned with finding her. With that little bit of extra height, he saw her curled up on the overstuffed chair next to him. He smiled softly at her as relief and satisfaction filled him. _She's here. She didn't leave. _He thought thankfully.

He saw her phone was the culprit of the sound and shut off the alarm. Kuon lied back down and found that he really needed to go to the bathroom. He sat up slowly, trying very hard not to upset his head. It felt heavy, like the slightest thing would anger it and punish him with undesirable pain. He smiled when he was able to sit up fine, but standing was a whole different world. Being tall had it's disadvantages. He was able to swing his feet off the edge of the bed and the world started spinning. He glanced back at her and didn't want to wake her up. Instead he reached for the call button for some outside assistance.

Nurse Aikawa had long left to be replaced by a young man, about 25 in age. As soon as he came in, Kuon lifted his hand to his lips to tell him to keep quiet. He shot him a inquisitive look, and Kuon motioned to the girl behind her. His eyebrow raised but he nodded. _Doesn't he know her already? The rest of the staff does, _he thought to himself.

"How can I help you?" The man asked softly.

"I can't quite make it to the restroom alone, and I didn't want to wake her up. Could you?" Kuon asked politely, and the nurse nodded. Kuon watched him walk over to the other side where Kyoko was sleeping. He was about to snap angrily at him when the nurse grabbed the IV stand. Kuon rolled his eyes at himself. _He wasn't going to look at her, or bother her in anyway. Stop getting riled up so easily, Kuon. _

He was stronger than he looked but Kuon wasn't a light weight. They made it to the restroom and back with as little noise as possible. Kyoko was still sound asleep. As the male nurse helped Kuon back into bed, Kuon read his name plate: Souichi.

"Thank you, Souichi-san. Before you go, could I ask you for a personal favor?" Kuon asked slightly nervous. He tilted his head confused but nodded.

"Do you think you can pick her up and put her up on the bed for me?" he asked boldly.

Souichi laughed softly. "Yeah, sure. I thought you were going to ask me for a cigarette or worse," he commented quietly. He rounded the bed, squatted down and then very carefully lifted Kyoko from the seat. She stirred slightly but she didn't wake up. Kuon pulled back the covers to allow her entrance. He set her down, and Kyoko was instantly drawn by Kuon's warm body.

"Your wife?" Souichi asked. He was either new or perhaps his shift for the week started today, either way he didn't know them at all. Kuon couldn't help his reply as Kyoko breathed softly against his chest.

"Yes," he replied softy as he tucked her in beside him. Souichi nodded and told him that if he needed anything else to buzz. He was left alone in a dark room with Kyoko lying next to him in the same bed. Oh how things have changed. Granted, she didn't know she was there, but she had slept with him before. Kuon remembered her warm body next to him when he woke up yesterday. It was her, and she did it of her own free will. Perhaps she thought he wouldn't catch her, but he did. And even if she was trying to hide it from him, she was still courageous enough to do it.

_What did it mean though? _Kuon wanted to hope, to believe that he had finally moved up from being her senpai, from being a friend to a possible romantic interest. Yet with everything that has happened in the last year, he knew better to do so. It was too good to be true. Another memory came fluttering through his mind, well fragments of a memory or a dream. She was holding his hand and smiling softly at him. He remembered a kiss and then her soft skin. It was so fuzzy that he couldn't believe that to be true.

He sighed softly and looked over to her. He sunk down back onto his back with Kyoko's head on his arm and her body snuggled up against his side. Kuon was aware enough to act out Ren again. Knew that what he had Nurse Souichi do for him was wrong in so many ways. She would become frightened finding herself in his arms. She would push him away and tell him it wasn't proper for a single man to sleep in the same bed of a young innocent girl. All of the reasons not to do it ran through his head, and they were all bested by one thing.

She started it.

He could blame the concussion too. It was a better excuse then blaming it on love.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I love taking advantage of situations. **

**Please remember, I wrote this before Chapter 181. I would have never known that Ren would be bold enough to drag Kyoko into his bed. I would have said that it was OOC. LOL. Lucky for us, he did do it. Kya!**


	34. Lets DO something!

Chapter 34

Kuon was released after 60 hours of his awakening with strict instruction that he was to rest until he was cleared for work. Oh he did not like that.

"How can they tell me to simply stop working until they clear me? Both films are almost over and everything is delayed because of this. It's not like acting is stressful," Kuon griped while they road in a taxi.

"It's for your health, and might I remind you that your work is what did this to you. I have been told by the doctor and President Takarada that you are under house arrest, and I will be there 24 hours 7 days a week to prevent you from exerting yourself," Kyoko told him determined.

_Well, how can I argue with that? _He smiled to himself. No, he could, it ticked him off. He loved the idea of Kyoko living with him. Well, it was more than an idea with this, but no work until his head is 100%. It's insane. They even told him it could take months for all the symptoms to disappear. That was not acceptable.

A week he can deal with. Maybe even two. The only reason he managed was because Kyoko was going to live with him, not as Cain, but as Ren and in effect as Kuon. He can definitely spend a week alone with Kyoko in his apartment as himself.

_Four days later..._

Kyoko ran to the door, like a bullet out of the barrel of a gun, she shot through the room and slammed the door closed, ripping the handle out of Kuon's hand.

"Move," he ordered, and she shook her head.

"MOVE!" he yelled out.

"NO!" Kyoko screamed back.

"Kyoko, I'm going out of my mind trapped in here!" Kuon groaned and started pacing in front of her like a caged lion. "Let me go for a walk, like around the block or even in the building. Didn't you want to go swimming? Let's go to the pool and go swimming. It's really hot outside, wouldn't it feel good to swim?"

"No," Kyoko said unyielding. "The doctor said to take it easy. You are still feeling dizzy when you get up too quickly, and you still sleep too much during the day. You are not leaving this apartment."

Kuon groaned frustrated. Somehow when he thought about spending a week alone with Kyoko, it wasn't this bad. Don't get it wrong, he loved seeing her every morning and every night. He loved talking to her, doing things with her, even cooking and cleaning, but the activities! Perhaps his mind had other ideas as to what they would do for the time they spent together. She didn't let him do anything physical, standing and walking was pretty much it. After years of running around from morning to night, and then being forced to "relax" was killing him.

"Then give me the key to my gym. Let me work out at least. I promise it will be very light. You can even watch me. You can stop me the moment you feel like it's too much," he pleaded.

"No! Absolutely not. That's even worse than going for a walk. We went to the grocery store together, and you were started feeling weak after ten minutes," she reasoned.

"That was right after I got out of the hospital," Kuon argued, "and you were walking down every single aisle like you were shopping for a family of 20! Pushing a cart that heavy after days of being in bed was difficult."

"You needed food! You never have any food in the place, and you wanted to come. I told you to let me go alone but you insisted in going. My first and only mistake that I am going to make." Kyoko stopped, and took a deep breath as her face fell into sad lines. "Corn, I'm not going to let you go until you are better," she added softly. "I don't want to see you get hurt again."

Kuon sighed. "Hey," he called out to her as he reached out and took her hand. He pulled her forward and hugged her lightly. "I told you that was extremely rare. I've been doing stunts like that for 6 years and this was the first. Dad has been doing much worse and the only thing that happened to him was a broken arm." Kyoko stiffened at that and he cursed his honestly. "Kyoko, Dad is fine. His arm is absolutely perfect now and I'm fine. Yes, I get dizzy but it's only when I wake up in the mornings. I can get up and walk around fine after that. I sleep, because I'm bored out of my mind. Please, please, let's go outside."

Kyoko stayed quiet blocking the doorway. Honestly, she was restless herself. While she loved being here with Kuon, she had to admit that she wanted to head out too.

"Okay," she said.

"YES!" Kuon yelled out happily.

"BUT!" She added, "If you start feeling even a little bit funny or tired or ANYTHING," she stressed, "you have to promise to tell me and we come home. Deal?"

"Yes, yes. I promise from the bottom of my heart. I'll tell you at the slightest inkling, and we will come right back," he said with a huge playful smile his face.

She laughed at his boyish charms. "Let's get dressed then," she said with a Kuon-induced smile. They dressed simply, skirt and blouse with a pixie cap for Kyoko, and jeans, a t-shirt, a base ball cap and sunglasses for Kuon. It was actually sort of reminiscent seeing him dressed like that. For one, he had to put on Ren's brown wig to hide Cain's black hair and the little spot they shaved for his stitches and two, Kuon lost his brown contacts when he revealed himself as Corn. He was forced to wear the grey ones at the hospital. The moment he was freed, he took them off, his eyes irritated since they weren't suppose to be worn for that long without some sort of maintenance. For the past four days, Kyoko was able to look into bright green eyes.

Oh those eyes would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life. He did get a new pair of lenses online and got them shipped overnight, thought he didn't put them on. He kept his eyes natural, and Kyoko wasn't about to argue with it. Today, he finally put them on, so he was Ren completely now. Should anyone actually recognized him, it would be difficult to explain his appearance. This was safer, she suppose.

They went down to the street and walked down the block. She kept a close eye on him, his physical demeanor and appearance. If she saw the slightest hint of pain or wariness she was dragging him home, but nothing yet. He was smiling, his hands in his pocket and enjoying the sweltering summer heat like no one else on the street. They went down another block and then another. He dragged her into stores for no reason other than to look around. Kuon kept her talking and as distracted as he possibly could. He had no reason to try so hard though. He was fine, felt great especially now that he was out of the building.

After an hour, Kyoko pleaded with him to go home. Since she gave him what he wanted, he agreed to please her. The next day they spent four hours out, and the next, they went swimming, but of course they had to get Kyoko a swim suit.

"Get whatever you like," Kuon said offhandedly. "I'm sure whatever you like will be cute."

"Cute?" Kyoko repeated and frowned at herself in the mirror. She had five different swim suits in the changing booth with her. She currently had on a royal blue one piece. It was plain but the sides of it were open with little straps running across her ribs down to her hips. She dismissed two of them right off the bat which was a string bikini and another one piece, so that leaves three that she was trying to pick from. This one, a multi colored tankini, or a white halter top two piece.

"I should pick this one," she whispered to herself. It was modest and something that she could go to any beach with comfortably, but...

_Wouldn't he like the white one more? _ She blushed and looked at the third suit. She really didn't think one way or the other about the tank top bikini combo. It was a nice medium between the two. When she put it on, it was like wearing a one piece, in fact it covered more of her upper body than most of Setsuka's tops. She thought that the white halter top suit would feel more like Setsuka's clothes, but the moment she put it on, she felt completely naked. Well more like, she would feel naked in front of him.

"Whatever I pick will be cute," she repeated his words softly to herself and then the same question kept popping up in her head, _Do you want to be cute or something more? _

Kyoko groaned and started stripping off the one piece. She put on the tankini again. Honestly, she didn't really like the way it looked on her. It made her feel rather shapeless. The colors were fun, with multicolor brush strokes all over it, but the cut was something less to be desired. Her eyes flickered to the white bikini and she sighed. _Why does it even matter! _She screamed to herself. _He only sees you as a child anyway. _She glared at the white swimsuit and then at the door.

"Damn him," she cursed under her breath. She changed back to her normal clothes and bought the one she felt was best, the bikini. If she was only a child, then it wouldn't matter if she wore the more mature one. He won't see her anyway.

They went to his apartment to change since they were going to the pool in the building. Yes, he had a pool in his apartment building. Why not, they had a freaking supermarket, so of course he has a pool. 

"Where is the pool again?" Kyoko asked as she changed in the bathroom.

"Second to the last floor of the building," he replied. Kuon had no idea why she was taking so long. He undressed and changed into his shorts in a matter of seconds. Granted he was eager to see her in the swim suit. She had tried on so many that he couldn't keep track of them, not to mention he didn't get to see any of them on her. All of his other girlfriends always asked his opinion when they went swimsuit shopping, it was a wonderful treat seeing the different types they tried on.

_She isn't your girlfriend, Kuon, _he reminded himself with a little frown. When she came out, all he saw was a fist full of white, some strings and that's it. The moment he saw the string, he instant thought _bikini! _Then he remembered who this was. Kyoko wouldn't wear something so sexy. Oh, but he wished she would.

"Do we need sun block?" She asked through the door. _Oh! Sunblock! DAMN IT! _Kuon cursed. The pool was inside, there was no need for it and there goes his chance to rub the lotion on her body. He was tempted to lie, but then she would only question him when they went up.

"No, it's indoor," he replied honestly.

Kyoko finally opened the door as she replied, "Oh, neat. So it's an heated indoor pool?"

Kuon was speechless. _It's a bikini. She's wearing a bikini. Kyoko is wearing the sexiest freaking bikini in the world. _ It was pure white which made her skin look darker, even though she was already rather pale. The bottoms were tied at her side, not with a string but a thick belt of fabric. It was the same around her neck, but not around her ribs. There was a single white string that was so fragilely tied behind her.

As soon as she stepped out - after much debate, Kyoko could feel his eyes run all over her exposed body. It took every ounce of strength for her not to run back into the bathroom and slam the door shut, but damn it, she bought the thing. She was going to wear it! Now if only her heart would stop tricking her like this. The word cute reminded her too much of a child, and she wanted to prove him wrong. She was 17 and that was of marrying age. NOT that she wanted to get married, but she wanted to see his face, and it was... um, blank. There was no smile, no shocked wide eyes, no laughter saying that it didn't suit her. Nothing. He was simply looking down at her.

"Do you like it?" She asked cheerily, trying to hide her nervousness. She was carrying a towel, and it was currently hiding part of her body on purpose. _You have to show it off completely, Kyoko! _ She stepped through the doorway to the hall and forced her arms apart to show it off.

"I thought it looked the best. It was this or the blue one, but this one spoke to me," she told him as calmly as she could. She did a little spin in front of him and then looked up at his face expectedly.

"It's..." Kuon coughed to clear his throat. _Beautiful... sexy... cute... sinful... I hate it, let me take it off... _He swallowed as comments were being shot down one by one in his head. Finally, he smiled and replied, "You look wonderful."

Kyoko smiled and thanked him, but if he was looking at her face, he would have seen her eyes lose their shine a little. _It's better than cute,_ she reasoned with herself.They started trekking out of the apartment with Kyoko walking up in front. The ride up was quiet, not uncomfortably so, as both parties were rather consumed in their thoughts.

_"You look wonderful." What does that mean? Is wonderful a proper word to describe a woman in a swimsuit. Sexy, gorgeous, even fetching. I was trying to avoid the word Cute, which is something said for Maria in a swimsuit, not me. Wonderful... I guess that's good. Though it sounded like an automatic response. As if he was saying that to hide his true opinion. _Kyoko pressed her lips together sadly. _I should have went with the blue one. At least then, I wouldn't feel like a complete failure trying to look grown up. _

Kuon couldn't stop looking at her. Walking down the hall, hopping in the elevator, the whole ride up, he kept her in his constant vision. There was a reason why she was walking in front of him instead of beside him. Better view! Her long slim bare legs gliding in front of him, the way her ass danced in that little bikini bottom, the ties that tickled her hip constantly daring him to untie them. His eyes moved up the graceful lines that made up her back to the little string that tied her top. His fingers itched to take one and pull it gently - or roughly, he didn't care as long as it came off.

When they went into the elevator, he thanked whomever designed it that they gave it a reflective surface. His eyes feasted on her, her supple thighs, her hidden valley, the soft expanse of her tummy and her breasts. Those delicious little mouthfuls had his mouth watering. The top hugged them perfectly, the heavy curve of her breast making it stretch smooth on the bottom, then it wrinkled at the top where two metal clasps collected the cloth to wrap around her neck... WAIT!

_Did those move? _ Kuon wanted to inspect them closer, to see if they were merely for looks or utility. Of course, he couldn't stick his face in her chest to find out. _Though that is a nice idea. _ No, they couldn't move. It was simply the design, or so he convinced himself.

The pool was completely empty.

"Are you sure it's open?" Kyoko asked in a whisper. She looked around the empty room and thought it was beautiful. It seems the building was designed to have this feature. It was on the second to last floor with the last floor cut short to make room for windows. The ceiling and two of the four walls were all windows so they could look at the view Tokyo had to offer. It must be more beautiful at night with the city lights to look at.

"Yup, it's open every day all year round from 5am to 4am," he told her. He had to look it up actually. He hasn't been up here since they showed him around the building when he first moved in.

Kyoko frowned puzzled. "Those are odd hours, why 23 hours a day?"

"They clean the pool during that hour," Kuon informed her. That made sense. She was hoping for a few more people here, but it was late Monday morning. This must be normal. Kuon started picked two lounge beach chairs. They were of course of the highest quality, made of a bleached wood and were made to recline all the way down. He set up his towels over each one as she walked over.

He looked over at her and she was looking all around nervously and in awe. Kuon knew she was going to be timid and step into the pool as if she wasn't supposed to be there. He had to let her know that it was okay. He smiled and got a wicked idea. He took two quick steps to her and lifted her up in his arms.

"WAH! What are you... NO!" Kyoko started to ask then quickly found out. He was grinning like a mischievous little boy and as soon as he picked her up, he started heading to the pool. She thought he was only going to throw her in and then laugh at her while he stayed completely dry, but nope. He threw both of them in. He ran and jumped while she screamed and braced for impact. Kyoko came up sputtering out water as Kuon casually swam up like it was nothing. He had a huge smile on his face, laughing at her as he swam around her.

"UGH! YOU BULLY!" She screamed and threw water at him making him laugh harder. He swam closer to her causing her to back away suspiciously.

"I did you a favor," he stated. Kyoko shot him a incredulous look. "You would have taken at least another 30 minutes before getting wet. I saved you time."

She barked out a laugh. "Are we in a hurry?"

Kuon's smile turned darker but not yet Emperor like. "No, but you're not nervous anymore, are you?"

Kyoko frowned and thought about it. A smile started to spread across her lips as she realized he was right. He was always right, thought she didn't always approve of the methods he used. Like Cain returning those leather pants for tops, or the worse when she woke up in bed with him. She thought she slept walked into his bed! It was mortifying!

When he told her what really happened all he said was, "You looked uncomfortable. Didn't you sleep better this way?" Why didn't he put her on the cot? Why did it have to be in bed with him? But what could she do, what was done was done, and Kyoko had another reason to never fall asleep before him again. This time instead of answering him, she splashed more water on his face with a little giggle. As he wiped it away, she dived under and swam passed him pinching his side as she left.

"Hey!" He cried out playfully and started to race after her. Kyoko thought she was a good swimmer, and she still was, but no matter how fast or hard she kicked, his long frame always caught up to her easily. Though it made him just as easy to catch as she was. There was a diving board, which they both partook in. This was one of the things that Kyoko was better at then Kuon was. She made diving off the thing elegant like a swan diving into the water. He had to dive at an angle because of his height, but it was perfect for her. On her fifth or sixth dive, he whistled and clapped enthusiastically to make her blush again, but when she came up she was holding on to her top rather protectively.

"It's loose," she casually told him and started to swim past him to the ladder.

"Kyoko," he called to her making her stop curiously. He moved towards her, took her waist with both hands and lifted her up to sit on the edge of the pool. She glared at him and looked at him standing in the pool. They were at six foot mark, of course she had to go to five foot before she even touch the bottom, even then most of her head would be underwater. He only smiled at her, probably already knowing what she was thinking. She started fixing her top, sliding the little clasps over her right breast a little tighter than before. She wasn't sure if it was the diving or that she didn't have on a tight enough to begin with, but it felt unsecured.

The top was inventive. It actually moved to accommodate different sized breasts or give the woman more or less coverage depending on their whim. Satisfied with that, she moved to stretch the fabric out again when she caught Kuon watching her intently. She blushed and stopped what she was doing.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch me fix my top?"

_Yes,_ he replied internally. "Oh, right," was what he mumbled with a blush and backed away. Kuon instantly wished the water was colder. He pushed himself away from her, heading to the deeper end and dived under. He twisted around to look at her. The water was clear enough to still see her form but not with the details he wished; however his mind helped fill in the blanks as he watched her move. She shook her head and started jerking the cloth over her breast. Once she was happy with that, she untied the straps around her neck while looking at her breast and retied it.

They goofed around a little longer then both deemed it was time to go back. Once they were back inside, she made Kuon head to the shower first.

"How's your head? Did the chlorine irritate your wound?" She asked concerned. He reached back and touched his mostly healed head wound and found his hair growing back slowly. He hated how much hair they had to shave off to sow him up. Was it really necessary to take off that much? It was about a quarter of an inch long now. A nice bright blonde spot in his sea of black hair. Actually, he's been two toned for a while now, and Kyoko thought it was great.

"It doesn't hurt like I promised," he stated.

"Let me see," she ordered. He sighed but obediently sat down, straddling one of his dinning room chairs with the back rest in front of him instead of behind. She walked up with a smile and ran her fingers through his wet hair making him close his eyes. She smiled at the dark blonde spot and looked for the cut. It was fine as he said. Still the thought of harsh chemicals on it frightened her, but it was for not. She didn't let him go right away though, instead she giggled.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said humorously. "It's just..." Kyoko licked her lips." You really are Corn," she said bashfully.

He twisted to look up at her with an incredible look. "You didn't believe me, after all this time?"

She shook her head. "I did. It was a little hard to believe though. Corn, Kuon and Ren all one person. It was a bit much, okay?"

Kuon nodded sympathetically. "Yeah," he smiled and leaned back into her. She spread her arms instinctively as the back his head rested between her breast. Her heartbeat started to rise but knew that she was supporting his weight at the moment. It would be terrible to step back and let him hit his head again. "I'm happy that I don't have to hide from you anymore," he confessed with a sincere smile.

Her whole body warmed at that statement, and she nodded in agreement. _I'm so very happy to have you in my life, Kuon. _


	35. Work!

Chapter 35

The doctor finally gave Kuon the okay to start work again, however, nothing too physically demanding. He could run, jump and play, but nothing like the stuns required for BJ.

The moment they got the okay, he called up Yashiro and told him the good news. Three hours later, Ren's schedule was packed from 7am to 11pm for the next two weeks.

"Corn, you need to take it easy. Doctor Ishida said you could start work again, but not for 16 hours a day," Kyoko complained.

"I don't have a choice. Both Ren and Cain were forced to leave for two weeks. Everyone knew what happened to Cain so that wasn't a problem, but for Ren to have the flu for that long is causing rumors. I'm sure that Box 'R' and Kimagura Rock is also eager to have you back. By the way, what reason did Sawara-san tell them for your absence?"

"Oh, um. I had a family emergency back in Kyoto. Since I'm under aged, everyone pretty much believed it without question," she told him. As if anyone from Kyoto would ever contact her, but she would go with it. Since it was private excuse, she wouldn't be forced to explain what it was.

"Please don't worry, Kyoko. Cain and Setsu aren't scheduled to act till the end of the week, so there is more recovery there. Meanwhile we have to do Love's Rival. The production for Tragic Marker is already so far behind they moved the completion date, but Love's Rival could still be kept on schedule if we booked longer days," he said reasonably.

She nodded unable to fight him and was swept away with him. Box R did need her back, but since she was the antagonist, they were still able to shoot a lot without her. They booked Kyoko for Wednesday afternoon and night and into Thursday Morning. Kimagura Rock... well, she doubt they really missed her. She hadn't thought of Hikaru in a while. He was there in the back of her mind, but with everything that happened with Kuon. It was filed deeply in the back of her head. Kyoko knew she should feel guilty, but she really couldn't help it. She called up Sawara-san and told him she would be back to play Bo on Thursday night. Tragic Marker starts up again Saturday, so the rest of the days were filled with Love's Rival.

They filmed the mock case, a date with Aika's fiancé, Hideo, a date with Kenta, the final exams, events before her father's elegant birthday party, more class time, and they were working on the scene were they find out who got first and second after their finals.

**Aika tapped her foot impatiently at the bulletin boards. They were supposed to post up the placements at 2 o'clock. It was now 2:03! _Where the fu...Oh!_ The student assistant for the Professor was coming up with the list. She stepped out of the way anxiously, practically dancing in her spot. The nerdy little assistant looked at her nervously as he fished for his keys to unlock the glass case. When he finally got them out, he had to figure out which key it was, driving Aika up the wall. **

**"GIVE IT TO ME!" Aika screamed and snatched the three sheets of paper from him. The slightly older man jumped startled and didn't dare approach her. She had to flip the paper and turn it three times before she could read it. **

**Number 1: Miyamoto Aika**

**"YES, YES, YES, YES! Oh, shit, No!" She looked at the next name and blinked. She looked at number three and frowned. Suddenly she started to scramble, reading all the names on the list. Kenta's name wasn't there. **

**"I dropped out of the class," Kenta answered her question before she even spoke. Aika looked up as Kenta walked up to her, and looked at him like he was mad. **

**"You..." **

**"Um, could I have those back, please?" The mousy assistant asked. Aika shoved them back at him and walked up to Kenta. **

**"You what? How could you drop? You were there for the final! What about your scholarship?" She asked nervously. **

**"I was there to tell the professor that I dropped. I waited for you but I had to go before you came out. I started school later then you, so I'm actually a year behind. That's why we never meet before this. I was doing so well, that they put me in an advance course. The class we had together wasn't a necessary requirement for my scholarship. It will be next semester though," he told her with a little smile. **

**"You are such an Asshole," she screamed at him angrily. She had never been so angry in her life. A student that was a year behind her was taking her number one spot, and he didn't even need it! She curled up her hand into a fist and shook with the desire to punch him. **

**"I was determined to do my best in the course, to jump a year in my studies and graduate early, but things changed when I met you," Kenta said softly. "I rather do another year and have your father give you away to me when we get married, then finish early, and we have to elope."  
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**All the anger drained away from her as he spoke those words to her. Aika blinked big tear filled eyes up at him. He was blushing lightly, unable to look at her with his embarrassing confession. She punched him anyway in the arm instead of in his face. **

**"What was that..." he frowned and rubbed his arm as he turned to look at her. His face softened as he finished, "for? Aika?"**

**She was crying, big fat tears were running down her face. "I haven't said yes yet, you arrogant jerk!" she sobbed making him smile. **

**He wiped the tears from her face and asked softly, "Aika, will you marry me?"**

**She nodded with a wet watery smile and hugged him. "I so would have gotten first anyway," she grumbled against his chest making him laugh.**

"CUT! That was perfect! Friday, we will do the graduation scene, and it will be a wrap!" Director Suzuki called out making everyone cheer. The two stars were reluctant to let go, but did so with a lingering touch. It was Wednesday afternoon, and she was scheduled to do Box 'R' while Ren did some modeling jobs and interviews.

There wasn't much time to linger, so Ren dropped her off at the studio and headed out to his appointment as quickly as he could. Kyoko and Ren received a warm welcome from Love's Rival, and Kyoko did so again with Box 'R'. It was Kimagura Rock that she was concerned about. Thursday came by so quickly that she really hadn't prepared herself for this. She literally shook as she reached TBM Studios, so badly in fact that she had to hop off her bike before she crashed into something.

Kyoko arrived early. So early that she was sure that no one from the show would be there yet. She hoped that she would gain some courage if she was alone, that everyone coming in one at a time would be easier to coop with. She forced herself to go in and towards the Kimagura Rock stage. Sure enough there was no one there, not even a single crewman. She went over to the Ishibashi waiting room and found it empty as it should be. Each time she went to a new area and found no one there, she gained a little more courage.

She stepped out onto the stage and smiled softly. Memories of her times playing with the three guys filled her with such happy thoughts that the notion of having to give all of that up because of her stupidity left her short of breath. Kyoko stayed on the stage reliving some of her favorite memories until the first stagehand came out.

"Welcome back, Bo-chan," he greeted her with a warm smile. Snapping out of her daze, she spun around and bowed to the man with a nervous greeting. Once he left, her nerves started to rattle again. _Everyone will be coming in soon. I still don't know what to say! _ She cried in her head. Kyoko scrambled off the stage to go hide with Bo.

"I can't do this!" she cried with her arms over her head. "How could I even think about approaching him after what I did to him? He's going to take one look at me and start plotting his revenge on me!"

She had to go, meeting him like this was too soon. It's only been three weeks. Three weeks was not long enough to forgive someone for using them. Her chest felt like she was getting stabbed with BJ's knife every time she thought of the horrible things she did to him. She's been in the receiving end of that cruel inhuman treatment and to think she had that kind of fiendishness within her. She wish she could destroy that part of herself.

_He should have slapped me, or worse. I deserve so much worse, _she thought mournfully. She started heading down the corridor, intending to leave and then she stopped. _That wouldn't be right. _She found a little hallway and sat down on the floor out of everyone's way. She dug through her purse and pulled out her stern Ren-Senpai doll.

"You have to put your emotional thoughts aside and do the job that is expected of you. Tonight, you are playing Bo. You can't ignore that simply because you are feeling childish and cowardly. Now, suck it up and go be the best Bo you can be!" She murmured to herself with a deep voice while forcing Ren's arm to point at her repeatedly. She sighed, letting her wrist limp down with the doll. _I know he is right, but I really don't want to be here. _

She was going to stay. It was unprofessional of her to leave so suddenly these last two weeks and then to take off a third for no reason at all, she simply couldn't do it. She pulled her purse open to put the Ren doll away and found her most recent Kuon doll. She smiled fondly at it. This one was blonde and green eyed with a playful smile on his face. She hasn't seen him with blonde hair before and desperately wanted to. Hence, the Kuon doll was made. Even the doll was unearthly beautiful, she was a bit frightened to see what the real man would look like. Kyoko could feel the heat rush to her face as she thought about it while staring at her imagination in her hand. People were walking to and fro beside her so she didn't notice who was talking until they said her name.

"Kyoko is supposed to be back tonight. Are you going to be alright, Hikaru?" Yuusei asked in a concerned voice. As soon as she heard them, she pushed herself up and ran into the first room she saw. Of course, the three stopped right where she was at enabling her to hear what they were saying. She frowned at herself perplexed... _Déjà vu? _

"Yeah," Hikaru responded and then took it back, "No. Well, I guess," he sighed, "I don't know man. I want to see her, and I don't. I want to talk to her, and I don't. I was sort of happy that she didn't come in these last two weeks. It gave me time to think, though not everything were good thoughts."

Kyoko understood that. It was completely acceptable actually. She didn't blame him for any curse that he bestowed on her. She deserved every single bad thing that would happen to her, if it would make him smile again.

"Of course not!" Shin'ichi yelled out. "That fucking bitch broke your heart." Kyoko flinched at that.

"Don't call her that!" Hikaru defended her immediately with an extremely pissed off growl. "I told you. I broke up with her. It was my choice."

"Yeah, but why? Even when we were all drunk, you didn't tell us why," Shin'ichi asked. Kyoko felt like crying. Actually, she was already crying. Even after all the horrible things she did to him, making him believe he stood a chance with her heart, and trying to force herself into his little box only to break it, he still defended her. These guys were like his brothers. She thought for sure he would have told them everything, yet they knew nothing.

"It doesn't matter," Hikaru said softly. "It wasn't meant to be, so leave it alone." He sounded so sad. She was so worried about how she would feel when they broke up. Yes, when they broke up, not if. Everyone was going to leave her eventually, so she foolishly thought, _lets go with someone who can't hurt me_. Never did she think about how he would feel when they broke up. The three started to leave again, and Kyoko peeked out. Their backs were to her so she darted out and unconsciously closed the office door she was in. The sound of the door closing made Hikaru turn around, finding a glimpse of a girl running around the corner. He simply turned around and kept walking.

Kyoko stepped outside to take a breath of fresh air. She had every intention of returning, she only needed a minute... or five. She let her tears run silently down her face hoping that some of the guilt and anguish would lessen within her but still felt horrible. She knew she couldn't stay out here, and she didn't have her Corn stone to help her through... this... She reached into her purse and took out her phone. She did have the actual Corn now, but he was the root of her problem. He wasn't to blame for her childish behavior, but he was the source. Kyoko couldn't tell him why she was crying unless she confessed her love for him. She couldn't call him.

Although she was still tempted, she put her phone back in her purse. Instead, she took a few deep breaths and went back inside. She didn't stop by the Ishibashi room, the stage or anywhere in between the door and her Bo suit. She had to work as Bo tonight, but nothing in the job demanded that she had to appear as herself and make nice with everyone. Kyoko, like the chicken she was dressed as, hid with Bo until it was time to head on stage.

"WHERE IS BO!" The producer screamed with 5 minutes till show time. Everyone was set, standing at the side with the crowd out there screaming and yelling for the show to start.

"Here! He's coming!" A stagehand yelled out as Bo's feet squeaked over rapidly. Kyoko held out her little board and bowed down in apology.

**"My zipper was stuck. Sorry!"**__The little white board said.

"Yeah, okay, whatever. We are on in 3...2...1... GET THE HELL OUT THERE!" He demanded, and the four left.

The show felt the same as it did every other night. The three went out there with huge smiles and played silly games with her. It was like everything was still the same. The difference came after the show.

"As much as I hate to admit it, the crowd missed the real Bo," the producer told Kyoko as she popped off her head. It was excruciatingly hot in there. She needed water, or she was going to die.

"I'm happy to be back," she said with a smile which quickly disappeared as the three host started walking towards her.

"Great job you three. You really killed it with the game show tonight," the producer complemented them making them smile, but the moment their eyes met hers, their smile disappeared.

Yuusei walked by first. He nodded his thanks to the boss and his eyes drifted to hers and promptly looked away. No smile, no hello, he said nothing clearly stating that he was not pleased with her. Hikaru came next in which Kyoko was having difficulty lifting her head up.

"You did good, Kyoko," he said softly. She snapped up to reply the same when Shin'ichi yelled out.

"Move it, bro! Nothing here worth your time," he said spitefully, not even sparing a glance at her. Kyoko hung her head down and agreed with him. What hurt the most was that Hikaru didn't defend her this time. She never wanted to get out of the suit faster than she did now. She raced to the changing area and tore it off with tears stinging her eyes. She knew this was going to be difficult but never this bad. She didn't even bother cleaning up like normal. She dumped the suit into the bin and took off running.

"Kyoko!" Hikaru called out to her as she passed him by. She stalled and turned around but shook her head as tears ran down her face and took off again. Footsteps were running after her and didn't reach her until they were outside.

"Kyoko! Stop!" Hikaru yelled as she was unchanging her bike. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to turn towards him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I should have quit. Shin'ichi is right. I'm a cold hearted bitch, not worthy of your time," Kyoko cried making Hikaru sigh.

"Geez, I hate it when you cry," he said softly and took her into his arms. She instantly pushed him away.

He snorted. "Right, you don't like it when I touch you. Should I call Tsuruga over?" he said sadistically.

Kyoko gasped. "It's not like that. Hikaru, I always meant to be with..."

"Stop," he interrupted. "I didn't come out here for this. I shouldn't have said that. I wanted to apologize for what Shin'ichi said about you. When he found out about the break-up well, he wasn't happy for..." Hikaru hesitated, "various reason."

"He has every reason to be angry at me, as do you," she told him sincerely. Silence filled the area around them, making Kyoko start to sweat. She was looking at the ground, her tears slowing down but on the verge to spill over at the slightest inclination.

"I am angry," Hikaru finally spoke. "And hurt and sad and... I wanted to hurt you a little. I wanted to see you in pain so I let Shin'ichi say that to you but," he let out a deep breath and shook his head. "It didn't help," he stated.

Kyoko looked up at him and blinked her watery eyes. "What?"

"It didn't help," Hikaru repeated, "You looked so sad, and I saw the tears threatening your eyes, and I felt like shit. I had to apologize to you. No matter what happened between us, he shouldn't say those things to you." He looked at her. She was looking at him completely speechless. He didn't know what was going on in her head, and he didn't have it in him to ask.

"I'll see you next week then," he said wanting to leave. "Bye, Kyoko."

Kyoko blinked and her voice started working again. "Wait. You want to continue working with me?"

Hikaru turned to her and had to think about that. After a few moments he answered, "It would be easier to say no, I don't, but the thought of never seeing you again bothers me too." He looked at her and smiled a very small sad smile. "Do what you want, Kyoko. It's your choice," he stated and then went back into the building.

Kyoko walked back to Daruma-ya instead of riding her bike. Her mind was plagued with what just happened. That did not go at all like she expected. He was so mature, so reasonable. It reminded her of Ren when he forgave her after an apology. She thought he would be screaming bloody murder. She thought Hikaru would treat her more like Shin'ichi did. Even Yuusei had a response that she could expect, but not Hikaru. He went out of his way to talk to her. _Did a difference of four years really make you that mature? _

"He even complimented my work," she whispered to herself. He always did that, followed by an invitation to dinner. She really wasn't going to miss those but they were friends, or use to be. She would miss that. She arrived at the restaurant and went upstairs bidding goodnight to her landlords. It was very odd being back in her room after so long. The moment that Ren went back to work, she returned home. Yet, it felt different now, like something was missing. Since her days were as busy as Ren's she only slept here. Tonight she was physically and mentally exhausted, yet her mind kept racing with random thoughts.

She got ready for bed and lied restlessly in her futon. It was then that her eyes moved to the two posters on her wall. Gone were the words MUST DEFEAT by Ren's picture, and Sho's was replaced with something she found in a magazine. She had destroyed the last one after writing MUST KILL too many times on it.

_Four years? _She never really thought about how long it would take to exact her revenge. The more she thought about it, the more immature she felt. If she were four years older, would she have reacted to Sho's dismal differently? Kyoko like to think that she would be the same, merely for the fact that it would make her wrong now. Not to mention, she always thought herself to be mature. _How wrong was I. I'm only mature compared to Sho. _She thought with a frown.

_I want to be better, but what does that mean? _She twisted in her sheets. Sho never apologized for the things he did, so Ren's method wouldn't work. She was tempted to call Kuon, to ask what he would do with someone who never apologized for something they did wrong. _He would probably avoid them, or maybe he would say cruel things to them. _ She shook her head. Hikaru's method seems best. Just make nice, speak to him like any other person and ignore all of his arrogant, pig-headed, mean, narcissistic...

"ARG!" Kyoko growled. That bastard musician made it extremely difficult to do anything that Hikaru would do. After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, debating random thoughts in her head, she made a decision. She got up, walked to the two posters on her wall, untacked Sho's picture and threw it away. She wouldn't forgive him until he apologized, but she wouldn't think about him either. Enough was enough.

Friday was the last day of Love's Rival. They started out in the studio, taking up most of the day reshooting scenes that the director didn't like. They had one more scene that had yet to be filmed, which they would do outdoors. After that, Ren had to shoot a commercial tonight so she would be free until tomorrow morning.

Even though she had decided to be the bigger person by following in her senpais' footsteps, she was a little melancholy about yesterday and her thoughts on Sho. Whenever she had a free moment, she would rethink things over, the scene with Hikaru, her decision with Sho, all of it. Ren must have noticed her distant and sometimes gloomy mood as he kept looking at her curiously. When they went to the outdoor set, Ren found the opportunity to ask her.

"How are you today, Kyoko?" He asked sincerely with a friendly smile.

She looked up at him and forced a smile. "I'm good. You?"

"Hmmm. I'm fine. No dizziness, headaches or sleepiness," He told her as if that was the first thing on her mind.

"Good," she laughed and nodded. That was one of her first thoughts upon seeing him, but not currently.

"So then nothing is wrong?" He asked again making her flush lightly. It was too difficult keeping things from him. _How did he learn to read people so well? _She asked herself with a little pout.

"I spoke with Hikaru yesterday on Kimagura Rock," she told him. It was part of her depression, not all of it, but Hikaru brought out less anger than Sho did for Ren.

"Ah," he said in understanding. "How did it go?"

"Not great, and not bad. I guess it depends on which Ishibashi you ask about," she said cryptically.

"Well, how about the one's opinion that matters most to you," he offered reasonably.

"They are all my friends, like my big brothers. Though not like my "Big Brother"," she said with a knowing smile. He smiled but let her continue, "I feel guilty for misleading Hikaru like that, so Shin'ichi-san and Yuusei-san have every right to be angry at me for hurting him, but I never thought I would get such hostility from them," she revealed quietly.

_Hostility? Hurting... him? Misleading? _Ren was utterly confused. "Kyoko, I thought he broke up with you."

Kyoko flushed and cursed at herself for her slip of the tongue. "Yes, he did, but... And please don't make that face, but this time it really was my fault." She paused to try and find the perfect words. "I asked him out and continued to date him under a false pretense. When I found out he liked me, I jumped right in to see what it would feel like, to finally know what it was like to be..." she had trouble saying the last word.

"It's okay, Kyoko," Kuon whispered softly, but Kyoko shook her head violently.

"It's not!" She hissed. "He loved me, but I don't love him. Corn, I used him. I used his feelings for my personal gain. I used him like Sho used me. I was a horrible, evil person to someone who didn't deserve to be treated so cruelly."

"And you did?" Kuon asked suddenly, derailing her train of thought. The look on her face told him her confusion and he clarified, "You deserved to be mistreated by Fuwa?"

"We aren't talking about him, or what he did to me. This is different," she countered.

"How?" He asked. "How is this different? The reasons were different, but the ending of each relationship ended up the same. An innocent person was hurt because of feelings that were not shared by the other party."

"The difference is I never intended to hurt him. Sho didn't care if he did or didn't. His was premeditated!" she snapped.

Kuon smiled. "And that is why Hikaru can still talk to you. He was hurt that you weren't honest about what you really wanted, hurt that it wasn't him. It will take him a while to get over it, but he knows deep down that you really didn't want to hurt him. As for his friends, well they are angry at you for him. They are his friends first," he told her. Kyoko stayed quiet as did Kuon. He let her think it over without interruption.

"You think they will forgive me?" she asked timidly.

"If they were ever really your friends, then yes. Once Hikaru does, they will too," he reassured her making her smile softly. Her smile started to widen the more time passed by and then a random thought came to her head making her frown.

"What if I wasn't remorseful? Would he still talk to me?"

Kuon smirked at this question and one person came to mind,_ Fuwa. _"No, you would then be all of the mean things that the other Ishibashi-sans said about you. If that were the case, he would probably ignore you."

"How is that mature?" She asked confused.

He had to think about this. "What does maturity have to do with this?" Kyoko blushed but told him about how much she admired him for his ability to forgive so easily and Hikaru for being able to talk to her after everything.

"Thank you, Kyoko, but I am far from mature. If I was, I wouldn't have punched Murasame for talking to you that way," he admitted with a shy smile. Kyoko laughed softly. "I would like to think that is more humility. I don't think I am above anyone to keep being angry at them especially after they sincerely apologize. As for Hikaru, well, perhaps he is mature to overlook his own pain and try to keep a friendship the he knows would last lifetimes. You are bit of a rare breed, Kyoko. You will go above and beyond for those that you deem close friends, even if that meant sacrificing life and limp to help them," he told her making her flush embarrassed.

"I think that sounded like a good thing," Kyoko replied unsure.

Kuon chuckled. "It is and it isn't. It is for those of us you call a friend, but to those that love you, we worry that you sacrifice too much. We want you to be healthy and happy too."

"We?" Kyoko whispered softly never intending for Kuon to hear but he did.

"Yes, we," he leaned down and whispered as Director Suzuki called for everyone to gather. Today Aika was graduating with her law degree. They were outside in a beautiful sunny day with hundreds of extras pretending to be the graduating class and their families. Most of the scene had her on the stage at the podium giving her valedictorian speech, but then it would shoot to the side of the stage with Kenta.

**As soon as the speech ended, the whole class celebrated their release into the world. Aika smiled and quickly ran off the stage and straight into Kenta's arms. She was number one, and next year Kenta would be doing the exact same thing she was. He lifted her up and kissed her soundly behind the stage curtains. Both were equally thrilled with everything that has happened. There was a cough to the side making them break apart. The two lovers turned to find his parents there with flowers. **

**Aika squealed and ran to them, giving both of his parents and little sisters a big hug. "I told you guys that you didn't have to come. Who is keeping the shop open?" She asked concerned but ecstatic that they were here. **

**"No one, we closed it for the day. We are not going to miss our future daughter-in-law's graduation day. Kenta will simply have to help us make up today's work," Nakashima Iszumi, Kenta's mother, said with a humorous smile. Kenta groaned but really didn't mind. **

**"Oh, I'll help too!" Aika volunteered and everyone paled and looked away nervously. "I'll deal with the customers at the front, not the food in the back," she clarified and everyone quickly agreed with bright smiles. Aika knew she sucked at cooking. It wasn't a secret. While she as chatting merrily to Kenta's family, her parents stepped up to the happy scene. **

**"Aika," her father's voice commanded through the laughter. She turned with a brave smile and walked over to her parents. Kenta was close behind with his family staying in the distance. **

**"Thank you for coming, Daddy," she bowed her thanks to him. Before she stood up straight, his hand touched her shoulder. She looked up at him questioning and was stunned when he stepped up to hug her. **

**"You did very well, Aika," he said softly and released her. She smiled with a little flush, more genuinely at her father. He nodded and stepped around her and to Kenta.**

**"Nakashima, right?" He addressed Kenta making him blink in shock. Hiro wasn't fazed in the least and continued, "Which firm are you thinking about joining? My daughter isn't going to marry a man in some disreputable firm." It took Kenta a moment, but he started talking about the firms he wanted to join making Aika smile. **

**"I did it!" Aika squealed and ran into her mother's arms. **

**"You did sweetheart! I'm so very proud of you. That man maybe a hardass, but he really does love you," Sakura said softly. "You are probably the only thing he truly loves in this world. He was simply worried about your future. That's why he did all this." **

**Aika smiled softly. "He loves you too, you know," she added. **

**Her mother laughed and shook her head. "I'm not that foolish, but thank you. Now, are we going to eat at Kenta's bakery, because I want another box of those éclairs they made for me last time. Do you think I can get one of those every week or so?" **

**Aika laughed as they all started walking to the graduation party for her. **

"That's it! Congratulations everyone!" Director Suzuki yelled out and everyone cheered. Suzuki had booked a restaurant for everyone involved in creating the film. They still needed to edit everything, but the cast would all be busy with new project by the time the film was ready to be released. Now was perfect timing, for everyone but one.

"You can't even stay for a little bit," Kyoko said with a little pout. Kuon instantly wanted to say screw it, and go to the party with her; however, Ren couldn't. The CM was pushed off for a week as it was, and it really didn't take much to do it.

"I can't. They are already expecting it to end late tonight. If I stay here, that means less sleep later, and you don't like that, right?" Ren teased already knowing his answer.

"Right," she said unwillingly. She stayed quiet for a moment. From the looks of it, she was fighting with herself until she finally gave Ren a timid little smile. "Um, then to make it up to you, maybe we can celebrate together when you are free," she offered with her face flushed a bright red. "If you want to, that is. I mean, this probably isn't very important to you, but..."

"It's important to you," Kuon said what she wanted to say, but would never allow herself to. She looked down ashamed at herself, wasting Ren's time with such a stupid request. He was busy, and for him to go to a silly party or even something with only the two of them instead of work was not...

"I would love to," he answered, stopping her depreciating thoughts. "This is your debut movie. I know how exciting that is. I'm sorry I can't celebrate your success with everyone else."

"It's not only mine," she quickly argued. "It's yours too and Yamada-san, Suzuki-san, and Fujimaki-san and..."

Ren chuckled. "Yes, that is true, but this one is particularly special to you."

Finally she agreed. She nodded, and he promised that they would do something special, just the two of them when they got a chance. As it was, he already planned on escorting her to the premier and celebrating it then. No harm in have another one earlier.

Since Ren wasn't at the party, it felt like the whole dinner was about her. She was the main star, but that didn't mean everyone else didn't work equally as hard. Ren had known that it would happen this way. Everyone revered the stars of the show, and they all knew that this was her big break. The party was more for her than anyone else; however, modesty and embarrassment had Kyoko share the spot light with everyone.


	36. Again?

Chapter 36

It is time once again for Tragic Maker to pick up shooting. When they arrived on the set, everything looked exactly the same as before. BJ's fall wasn't recorded fully, so it still needed to be done... _But not by Cain,_ Setsu thought happily. Of course the set was cleaned up and this time there was a marker where Murasame had to lay down to make the stunt safer. Everyone was understanding of Cain's extended absence, including Murasame. He was actually one of the first to come up and talk to them.

"**Go away!**" Setsu snapped at him angrily. Setsu had every right to be thoroughly pissed off at this man. First he continuously hit on her, then insults her brother time and time again, calls her a family whore and then almost KILLS Cain! This guy deserved so much more than her anger, like a bullet in his brain or a nicely placed knife in his chest.

"Wait, could I talk to you for just a moment," Murasame pleaded. Both the Heels turned to him with intolerant glares, but that was their way of letting him talk. He took what he could.

"I know we aren't on the best of terms," he started, and Setsu snorted. He glared at them as he continued, "But I would never go as far as to hurt you in a cheap stunt like that. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have kicked your ass in an honorable fight."

"Like you would stand a chance against my brother!" Setsu yelled out angrily. "You did that because he punched you. Instead of taking it like a man, you schemed this stupid plan to..." Cain placed his hand on her shoulder stopping her words. He shook his head making her frown. Cain looked over at Murasame and nodded once.

"You forgave him! What the hell, Nii-san?" She cried outraged as Cain lead her to their dressing room.

"Kyoko, calm down," he said softly the moment the doors shut behind them. Unfortunately, Kyoko was actually upset at Murasame for hurting Kuon and while her language was toned down, her outrage wasn't.

"Really, how could you forgive someone that made such a huge mistake, taking you out of the field for three weeks? I don't care if he did apologize. That really wasn't an apology either! Talking about an "honorable fight". What is that? He was completely unprofessional, through this whole shoot, he's been unprofessional. He was so angry about the punch you gave him that he wasn't paying attention, he didn't focus and position himself correctly, and you got hurt!"

Cain turned towards Kyoko thinking it was still Setsu, but saw the tears forming in her eyes as she radiated with rage. He stepped up to her and placed his hand on her head. She looked up at him and closed her eyes forcing a tear to fall down her cheek.

"Sorry," she mumbled and took a few steps away from him. She rubbed her eyes with her back to him, embarrassed that she slipped out of character - again. This whole movie was nothing but a huge reality check for her. She kept going out of character with all the complications of their secret relationship, while Kuon was perfect with Ren, Cain and BJ.

Kuon frowned not understanding what had her so upset. He stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Why are you sorry?" he whispered softly into her ear. She sighed and placed her hands on his forearms, wanting that touch for comfort and strength.

"I'm really no better than Murasame-san. I keep letting my personal feelings affect my acting. Plus, you were the one he hurt, not me, so I should have no reason to be angry. Especially since you forgave him," she stated ashamed.

Kuon smiled softly behind her and gave her a little hug. "Would it be bad to say that I liked that you were angry about it?"

Kyoko twisted to look at his face, so he loosened his arms to allow it. "You do?"

"Yeah," he said with a little nod. "It makes me feel... important to you." His words made Kyoko blush a fiery burnt red.

"You are," she told him softly. She couldn't look up at him, but she turned around and wrapped her arms around his waist. She nuzzled her face against his chest and sighed. "You are important to me, that's why I'm very happy that you aren't doing the stunt."

Kuon stiffened, and Kyoko felt it.

"You're not, right?" she asked seriously. Kuon couldn't look at her. He licked his lips and pulled her arms from around him.

"Kyoko, I do all my own stunts. I can't let someone else do this one because of one accident," he explained.

"YES," she barked, taking a step back to yell at him. "Yes, you can! It's very easy to do. You sit there and let the stunt double do it for you. It was something that you should have done for Dark Moon, and you HAVE to do it now."

Now Kuon was getting angry. "I'm doing the stun. It's not nearly as dangerous as the car chase, nor was it as dangerous as half the things I did when I was younger. I told you that doing these things were nothing compared to my life before. You need to stop overreacting," he yelled back at her.

"I don't care! I don't care how hard you had it before, or all the things that could have happened to you in the past. I'm scared about the future," she shouted, and he could tell she was starting to cry. "Doctor Ishida hasn't cleared you for stunts, especially this stunt. You can't do this!"

"You can't stop me!" He bellowed making her flinch.

"The director can," she grumbled and stormed out of the dressing room. Kuon sighed as all his anger left him the moment she left. _That didn't go well._ With the way she fussed about him, he was worried about today. He knew she would have trouble accepting his decision, but to yell at her. That wasn't part of the plan, but with her knowing who he was, and Kuon being freed so much more now, it was harder being Ren and so easy to be himself. Himself being one that didn't like taking orders, mainly ones that said he can't do something.

He got dressed as BJ while she was out. She didn't come back right away, so he was a little concerned that the Director would believe her. He had to do this stunt, it was part of his reputation, so he rushed. He got dressed and into character as fast as he could to make sure that they didn't make any hasty decisions without him. As he feared, the director came up to him in concern while Setsu followed with a little celebratory smirk.

"Heel-san, are you sure you are able bodied to do this stunt?" Konoe asked, "While I appreciate the effort and determination you are displaying to do it yourself. It really isn't necessary. Your health is more important than the film."

Setsu moved to stand next to Cain as the director spoke in Japanese. Since Cain wasn't supposed to know the language Setsu did translate in English, "He says you can't do it. They will call in the stunt double while you take it easy, and then call you in when they need you."

Cain narrowed his eyes at his little sister and glared at her. They both knew what the director had said, yet she still has the audacity to lie. It was actually very Setsuka, but no matter how much she disliked it, he was doing the scene. Instead of talking to her, he spoke to the director in Japanese.

"I'm fine. Let's do it." Simple and to the point. Very Cain.

"WHAT? NO!" Setsu screamed, her voice echoing in the studio.

Konoe licked his lips and nervously looked from the little sister and him. "Are you sure?" he asked again, and Cain simply nodded.

"Alright then," Konoe surrendered and turned to announce the start of the scene.

"WAIT! STOP!" Setsu yelled out and ran in front of Cain. "Please, please don't do this, nii-san."

"You're being annoying, Setsu," he threatened and started to move to the stage. Kyoko grabbed his tattered trench coat and held on with all her might to stop him.

"Don't, please don't," she begged making him turn towards her. He saw Kyoko looking up at him with tear filled eyes and sighed. He turned to the director and everyone else staring at them and lifted up a finger to say he needed a minute. Director Konoe nodded, and Cain escorted the weeping Setsu back to their dressing room. During the whole walk over, she didn't let go of his jacket, nor when they entered the room. He turned towards her making the jacket pull around him uncomfortably. Kuon very gently placed his hand and over hers and forced her to let go.

"Kyoko, please stop this. I know Setsuka would be worried about her brother getting hurt again, but you are taking this too far. We need to film the scene, and we've wasted a lot of time as it is. When we go back out there, you can cry or pout, but you need to let the film continue without interruption," he scolded her, which would have normally worked. In reality, he should have realized that this was more serious then anything he's seen before. Before him, Kyoko was terrified and unyieldingly so.

"No," she sobbed. "No," she said as she shook her head, over and over again. Tears started running down her face as she took a step towards him, then another until finally she pressed her body against his, crying into his chest. "Please, don't do the stunt. I couldn't take it if you got hurt again," Kyoko pleaded as her hands clung to anything she could grab, which were the ripped up remains of BJ's shirt.

"Kyoko, nothing is going to happen. Everyone is so stunned by it last time that no one is going to let anything happen this time. You have my word that we will be going home safe and sound together," Kuon tried to reason with her, to calm her down enough to let him go, but it didn't work.

"You promise? You already promised me that you wouldn't get hurt, and you did! You don't know if you will or won't. You don't understand what I went through. I heard it the moment your head hit the frame. I can still hear the sound it made. It was like a crack of thunder. It was so loud, and then your body felt limp and slammed into the ground. Even with the padding it looked like it hurt. When I ran up to you..." her voice cracked as she cried.

"There was so much blood. I thought you died." Her hands started clawing at him, as if trying to gather him up in her hand. Her arms found their way around him and she hugged him as if he would run if she let go.

"I thought you died, Kuon," she repeated softly against his chest. Kuon didn't think about how much this could have affected her. Even if she plays the tough girl, she's never been around so much violence and to see someone she knew get into such a gory accident... he should have been more understanding. He returned her hug and held her gently, patiently as she cried. His heart was beating steadily in her ear as he gently stroked her hair till she moved. He thought that she was done. Now that Kyoko voiced her fears, she would be ready to let him go, but he was wrong. Kyoko pulled away and then went to her knees and bowed down low on the ground.

"I will do anything, anything you ask of me if you forgo this stunt," she begged, her voice muffled by the ground.

"Kyoko, don't," he knelt down and started to lift her up.

"What can I do? What will it take? Please tell me," she pressed him making him frown confused.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you..."

"I can't lose you," she said quietly. "I can live my life with you as my friend. As long as you are there as my friend, I'll be fine, but I won't be if you die." Her tears started up again. "I can live my life as long as you are alive and happy, and I can talk to you. I need you to stay with me even if it's just a friend."

Kuon heard every word she said, but he refused to believe it. Her words and actions was like something out of a drama, and those words would be tied to love, an unrequited love to be exact; however, that couldn't be right. He was in love with her, not the other way around. She wasn't looking at him, and he desperately wanted her to. He took her face between his hands and gently pulled her face up towards his.

"Kyoko, what are you trying to say?" he asked softly, hopefully.

"I don't want you to do the stunt," she said again, and he shook his head.

"Tell me why?" he asked again eagerly.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt again," she kept dodging making him growl in frustration. He pressed his lips together as he looked at her face. She was crying so much, the meaning behind her words, the look on her face and torment in her eyes all were screaming that Kyoko loved him, yet she wouldn't say the words. Was it all in his imagination? Was she truly simply concerned about her friend getting hurt again? Kuon wanted to believe it was more. All the meals, the games, the warmth and comfort, her acceptance of him and his past, the laughter and tears they shared. It had to be more.

He kissed her.

Kuon kissed her with every single ounce of feeling that he had for her, the longing, the lust, the jealousy and all the love that he wanted to shower upon her. He put it all in his arms that held her, his heart that pounded in his chest and his lips that pressed against hers passionately. She whimpered, and he felt her body get weak, and his arms were more then willing to accommodate. A fraction of a second into the kiss, he felt her respond, her jaw moved and her lips moved to kiss his, and then she broke it.

Kyoko gasped and pushed Kuon away. The salt of her tears melded with the taste of his lips. She was breathing heavily and trying to regain her composure, slow her heart and trying to think again when he pulled her back in and kissed her again. This time she moaned and opened her mouth to receive the tip of his tongue. As always, her knees went weak and her stomach started fluttering with the humming from her heart. Her hand skimmed over his chest and slid around his neck to sink into his hair. Kuon groaned as her nails scratched the base of his skull, and she pulled his hair to break the kiss again.

"Please stop. I can't stop myself when you kiss me," she whispered as her fingers loosen their hold from his hair.

"From what?" he whispered against her lips.

"From loving you," Kyoko said with a strained voice. She hiccuped as she started to cry again. "I fell in love with you," she confessed. Her arms started to retract, and she shoved them between their chest; however, Kuon was not letting her go.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she wept into her hands. Kuon really didn't know if he should be happy or upset. Happy because she loved him. She said she loved him and yet here she is... apologizing for it. He didn't say anything as he wanted to do so much all at once, so he did the one thing he wanted most. He kissed her again, rejoicing with passion.

Kyoko gave in this time. Her heart didn't have the will stop him a third time in a row. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him back. The need and desperation to have him like this forever and knowing that he was what? Teasing her? He was probably trying to get her to stop crying and let him do the stunt. It didn't matter anymore. She was tired. Tired of fighting her emotions, of hiding her heart's desires. She was in love, and the man she was in love with was kissing her. Why fight it?

It felt like centuries had passed with them in a lip lock when it was only seconds. He pulled back, leaving her in a melted puddle of blushing flesh. She panted softly, her lips a beautiful wet red, with her grey eyes heavy lidded. Kuon didn't want to leave, but was now more then eager to get today done and back into Kyoko's arms.

"Kyoko, do you trust me?" He asked making her blink in confusion. She licked her lips as she thought about, making him want to kiss her again. Finally, she nodded.

"I'm going to do the stunt," he said and her fists tightened at his shoulders. "I will not let anything happen, do you know why?"

She shook her head.

Kuon smiled and replied, "Because I love you, and nothing is going to take me away from you. Not ever and especially not now. Now that I know that you love me back." He laughed as he said those last few words. He was so deliriously happy, that he couldn't help it. He said it again, "You love me." He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Trust me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you in my arms. I'm not letting a stupid stunt ruin that," he repeated and watched her. She nodded slowly still in a daze, and he pulled her up for another hug. He felt her shaking, her arms around his neck and her whole body against his, everything was trembling, but she agreed.

"I won't forgive you if you break that promise," she whispered as she gently let him go. "I'll never forgive you," she threatened. Kuon smiled and stood them both up. He took her hand and started heading towards the door, but she froze to her spot.

"I can't. I can't watch that again without remembering," she confessed softly. Kuon turned to her and wiped away stray tears.

"Can you really stay in here and not watch? I need you, Kyoko. I need you there watching, so I can fly," he said with a smile. Kyoko's bright eyes flickered up to him. "I can't fly without you," he whispered and kissed her softly. Her eyes fluttered closed at the tender touch. When he pulled back, she nodded again.

Kuon had to shut down and allow Cain to take over, while Kyoko could stay herself since Setsu and her shared the same emotions about this. Cain walked his little sister to where the cameras were set up. He made her stand front and center next to them. Everyone watched the two siblings in awe or curiosity as Cain leaned down and whispered something to her. Setsu nodded but sobbed softly. Everyone could see that she had been crying but her big brother won. He turned towards the director, nodded once and started walking to the set.

"Places everyone," Director Konoe said, and Kyoko collapsed. She sunk down, crouched on the ground holding her knees and crying softly as everyone started moving. She felt someone approach her, so she looked up. Konoe squatted down in front of her with a tissue.

"He will be fine," he assured her. She took the tissue and nodded.

"I know," she tried to sound strong but knew she failed miserably. He smiled softly and couldn't help but think what a brilliant actress she was. To have such strong emotion for a character that wasn't on film. She was a Class A actress with a world class work ethic. He would definitely love to work with her for real.

Cain followed Murasame up the ladder to the staged rooftop. When he saw Murasame, he was looking down at Setsuka huddled up, trying to control her crying.

"Are you sure she's okay with this?" Murasame asked with a worried frown.

"I told you not to look at her," Cain reminded him. "And she'll be fine after this is done. We'll be fine after all this is done," he said softly making Murasame look at him curiously. Cain felt his eyes on him and turned a glare at him. "So don't fuck up this time, and let's get this shit over with."

"Hey, I don't fuck up," Murasame growled back and poked Cain's chest for emphasis.

Cain grabbed his hand and twisted his arm away from him. "Tell that to my head," he barked back and pushed the other man away. Murasame couldn't help it. As soon as he heard Cain say that, he busted out with a loud burst of laughter. Cain glared at the lunatic but made no move to stop his laughter. Murasame took a deep breath to calm his funny bone down and started to lay down in position.

"Alright, let's do this in one shot, that way you can get back to Kyoko," he said making Cain snap over to him with wide eyes. "Oh, I mean Setsuka. Sorry, I must be thinking of another girl." Cain stepped over him and lifted him by his shirt alone.

"How do you know that name?" He asked in a voice worthy of a death god. Murasame actually paled, and he held his hands up in surrender.

"I heard you say it in the dressing room. They asked me to go find out what's going on, again. You know how everyone is a wuss around you. I heard you call her Kyoko. I bet she isn't your sister. I also bet that your real name isn't Heel Cain," he spoke like a reporter with a hot tip. It made Kuon go on edge.

"It's a stage name, and I told you before. It doesn't matter if she is my sister or not, don't go near her, she's mine," Cain snarled and let him go with a little more force then necessary. Murasame huffed and coughed a little.

"Yeah, you love her. She's untouchable. I get it. I know nothing," Murasame clarified as he took Cain's trench into his hands and his foot into Cain's stomach.

"Make sure you keep it that way," Cain scowled, and they began.

Setsu couldn't look. She couldn't. She took a deep breath and counted to ten... then twenty... okay a hundred. Every time she got the courage to look, all she saw was the scene from before. His unconscious body and blood, blood everywhere.

"ACTION!" Konoe yelled out making her flinch. She moved her head up and watched.

**Kouji flipped BJ off of him and over the ledge with every last bit of self preservation he had in him. The moment he did, another shot sounded and this time, Amazume did not miss. BJ was out of his sight and Kouji scrambled to watch him fall. He moved to the ledge and looked down, finding the killers body broken at the alley below. Suddenly, all of his adrenaline left him and Kouji started to shake and breath loudly. His body screamed in pain as every single wound he had to take came back full force, reminding him that he was badly injured. **

**There were approaching footsteps and flash lights. He heard his father's voice and he called out to them, "HERE! I'm over here!" He waved his good arm and then collapsed as they found him. **

**"Where is he?" His father asked and Kouji pointed behind him. **

**"The floor of the alley. He fell from four stories and was shot, but I don't know where," Kouji told him with a very weak voice. **

**"Alright, I'll get my men to look for his body, and we'll get you some help. You did real good, son," Sousuke smiled to his son. **

Kyoko couldn't pay attention to the scene. She knew the lines, knew what was going to happen, but her mind was on one thing. Her eyes followed Kuon's body as it flew in a perfect arch from high above. She held her breath from the moment he cleared the building, and he started to fall. When his body hit the mat, she jumped up from her spot and took a single step towards him. The déjà vu of the scene made her see the accident all over again.

_He's not moving! He's not moving! You promised. Move! You promised me forever, Kuon. _She ranted in her head as she started to move towards the set. Everyone was too focused on the scene to notice her creeping forward. She saw the edges of the camera in her peripheral vision and forced herself to stop. _I can't ruin the scene. Don't ruin the scene, Kyoko. _

Kyoko wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold. Truthfully, she was cold. She felt cold and fragile. Her eyes blurred forcing her to blink away the tears as she watched him. She didn't want to miss this. The moment that he moved, breathed anything, she had to see it. He was so still. _Why isn't he breathing? _She heard Kouji yell out his line, and Kyoko's heart sped up. The cameras were officially off of Cain, so that means he can move right? Her eyes never wavered off of him, and she willed him to move.

Kuon wanted to move. He could feel her watching him with an intense gaze. He wanted to let her know that he was fine, but he couldn't. He doubt that she wouldn't be able to handle it if he had to do this again. They had to do this in one shot. He believed that she would rather suffer a little longer then try and deal with him doing the stunt again. Plus, he really did want this over with. This scene right here had to be the most difficult thing he has ever done in his entire career, and it was by far the simplest. Lie there and pretend to be dead. How could anyone lay still like this after hearing the love confession from the girl of their dreams? His whole body was rushing with adrenaline. He wanted to burst up and celebrate, but instead he had to play dead. What luck.

"Cut!" Konoe yelled out after several thousand centuries, and Kyoko ran to the set. Before Kuon could sit up, she was at his side fretting over him.

"Cain, are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you? What's today?" She asked stupid questions, things that everyone should know and things that he could answer without giving away anything vital. Her hand hovered over his body, looking for anything that looked wrong, bones sticking out, a spot of blood on the green screen, anything. Everyone knew he was fine but her, so they let them be alone. Kuon smiled up at her with BJ's blood shot eyes and messy hair.

"I'm fine. I'm not hurt," he said softly as he sat up. He took her hands in his and pressed it against his chest over his heart. "See. I'm still here with you as I promised," Kuon whispered. Kyoko started crying all over again though it was lightly tinted with laughter. She leaned forward, her hands gliding up his chest and around his neck. She buried her face between her arm and his head and wept in relief and happiness.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered in a strained voice.

He turned his face towards her and kissed her temple softly. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to me, to us. For this is the first day of the rest of our lives together. I'm not about to let a moment of that go."

Kyoko pulled back blinking at him confused. Now that the danger was over, the conversation they had in the dressing room all came flooding back and her heart was about to burst out of her chest and run for the hills. _I confessed. I told him I loved him. _

_**And he told you he loved you back, **_her heart reminded her but her mind was having trouble keeping up.

"You can't do that," Kuon told her making her even more confused, so he clarified, "I know that look. No matter what you say or do to try and take back those words, I won't believe you. You can't take back what you said. Besides," his voice went deep and Kyoko's eyes widened as he looked at her with that Emperor's look. "I know how to make you fall in love with me," he leaned in to kiss her again, and she turned away hiding her face behind her hands.

"That doesn't work when you look like a creepy serial killer!" She exclaimed making him laugh loudly.

"Heel-san," Director Konoe called out to him. Back to work then. Kuon focused on Cain, and he ruffled his little sister's hair.

"Hey, get this thing off of me, will ya?" Cain demanded as his hands started to take off the safety harness from around his waist. Kyoko blinked and then quickly nodded. She frowned as he fidget around.

"Hold still, Nii-san," Setsu ordered. Yes, back to work.


	37. Tell Me

Chapter 37

The scene needed to be retaken; however, not the stunt. Only the lines had to be reshot much to Setsu and Kyoko's relief. The film continued on without any further problems, and Kyoko was able to be Setsu without any problems. After everything, she felt a little foolish making such a big deal about the whole thing. Adding to the fact that she let her little secret slip, well that furthered her embarrassment. Cain didn't step out of character and ask about it, even in private, but they held hands or kept in contact with each other every chance they got. Both were for different reasons though, Setsu would want to keep touching Cain as a comfort of his wellbeing. Okay, Kyoko wanted to confirm it as well. Kuon was doing it so she wouldn't run away. He was eager to go home or to the hotel room. He wasn't going to let her escape, not tonight, not ever.

The moment they left the studio, Kuon dropped character. He held her hand and hailed a cab almost standing in the middle of the street to make one stop. He pulled Setsu into the cab and told the cabbie where to go. The next second later, he turned a brilliant smile towards her and leaned in to kiss her.

"Nii-san, what are you doing?" Setsu said with a little giggle as she held her hand in front of his face blocking his lips from any part of her. The driver looked at his rearview mirror with a very disturbed scowl on his face but kept driving. Neither of the two noticed as Kyoko was trying to stay hidden by keeping in character, and Kuon pouted disappointed.

Kuon withdrew. They were in public, and Kyoko didn't seem to like it when Hikaru tried to kiss her in public. Whether he liked it or not, Kuon couldn't help but pay attention to how she acted around him. How she laughed and smiled, and how she turned away from his hugs and kisses. He loved those reactions, but he wondered if they continued in private. He stayed silent in the ride over, but kept his hand weaved with hers, his thumb rubbing her skin absentmindedly.

As soon as the cab stopped at the hotel, Kuon gave the cabbie way too much money and pulled her out and into the hotel.

"Cain, wait," she whined as they headed to the elevator. He turned to her waiting. "I'm hungry," she told him.

"We'll order something upstairs," he told her and started forward again. Setsu was not having it.

"I want to eat out," she demanded halting their progress. Kuon sighed. He turned, closed their distance and whispered to her, "Let's drop character and then we can go out and eat, okay? Please?"

_But that would defeat the purpose, _Kyoko thought. She didn't want to go upstairs. Didn't want to see Kuon. She wanted to stay as Setsu and Cain, safe and away from the things she said in his dressing room. If she went up to that room, if she met Kuon again, it would be all over. She wouldn't be able to stop herself from completely loving him and her fragile heart would once again be in someone else's hands.

"I would want to take a shower if I changed, and it's late so it would make sense to dress to go to sleep, not to go out and eat. Let's eat like this," she said in a childish plea.

"Kyoko, please don't do this. Come upstairs where we can talk. You can't hide behind your characters forever," Kuon told her making her look down defeated. He took her into the elevator where they were alone. He wanted to kiss her again, his body hummed with the need, but he waited patiently. He tried to appease his body by keeping his hand on her shoulder, his thumb running up and down her neck beneath her long blonde hair.

Kyoko was having trouble breathing past her heart. He stayed so close to her, his hand never let her go, whether it be her hand, arm, shoulder, or waist. He always held her as if afraid she would disappear the moment he stopped. Perhaps she would. She wanted to, because his touches were making her delirious. The idle caresses were sending shivers down her skin, the warmth from his body and hand heated her entire body up, and she doubt that she could fight off his kisses for much longer.

In fact, the moment the door to their hotel room closed, Kuon pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She fought him, her hands shoving at his shoulders and her feet planting against the wall to help her push away from him. He did not relent. His arms wrapped around her, tightening as his lips worked hers to move. He bent down slightly, moved his right arm under her butt and picked her up making her yelp. He took advantage of her parted lips and slipped the tip of his tongue to hers making her groan. With no leverage, Kyoko was forced to use her hands alone. They sank into his hair with the intent to pull back but got lost in the feel of him. Her mouth opened wider without her consent, and she started licking his lips and playing with his tongue.

With her hands around his head, Kuon let his left hand glide down her back to her right thigh. He hitched her higher against him and encouraged her legs to wrap around his waist. She moved with him without objection, bringing a soft moan from his throat. He walked towards the bed, the first one he found and gently laid down over her. Their kiss broke from the action, but he didn't want to stop kissing her. He ran his lips over her jaw to her neck as his hands slipped from underneath her to her side.

"Wait," Kyoko breathed softly. "No, stop," she whispered unbelievably. His hand ran up the sides of her body making her squirm beneath him. A sharp gasp burst from her lips as his mouth licked her collarbone. She felt his fingers run through the wig, but she didn't know what he was doing until he pulled it free from her head. Kuon tossed the costume to the floor and started massaging his fingers through her auburn hair, loosening it up. He pulled back to look at her, to look at Kyoko. She blinked hazy grey eyes up at him instead of molten gold ones. It wasn't quite the same, but it was still her.

As Kuon looked down at her, Kyoko started to regain consciousness. She found herself beneath Japan's most wanted man with her hands on his chest, his hands in her hair and her thighs spread wide for his body to slip between her. She blushed scarlet red and started to push away. Her feet dug into the mattress, and she pushed up, making her core brush against his belt buckle, bringing a very sexy moan from her lips. Lighting ran through her body at the sensation, and she was temporarily stunned by the unexpected pleasure.

"Kyoko," he whispered softly bringing her attention to him. "I've waited so long for this," he breathed against her chest, his hands doing ridiculously wonderful things to her skin.

"For what?" she said panicked. 

"For this, for you and me, for us," he simplified. While he meant love in general, she thought he was talking about making love.

Kyoko shook her head. "No, I can't," she almost shouted and pushed away from him. "I can't," she repeated and this time she was able to worm free. She twisted around and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Why? Why are you fighting this?" He asked confused and desperate. He crawled over to her and forced her to turn back towards him, taking her chin to make her meet his face. "I love you, and you love me, or was that a ploy to try and get me out of doing the stunt?" His voice was dark, and edging towards hurt.

She quickly shook her head and closed her eyes. Her eyes felt enflamed from all her crying, but she felt those tears trying to make a comeback. She felt his hand move up her cheek and felt his breath against her lips.

"Do you love me?" he asked softly. She didn't move, didn't speak, but stayed shivering in his arms.

"Tell me, Kyoko, or do you want me to say it again?" She could feel him move, his breathing moving from her lips to her cheek and finally to her ear. "It's my last secret," he whispered. "After this, you'll know everything about me, my past, my hopes and dreams, my desires," his hand ran down the curve of her back making her arch against him in pleasure. He pressed a soft kiss behind her ear and whispered, "I love you, Mogami Kyoko. I've loved you for so very long." He pressed another kiss below her ear and pulled her tightly against him. "Please, tell me you feel the same."

"Kuon, I can...hmmm."

He didn't let her finish, stealing her words with his lips. She told him she couldn't resist his kisses, and he fully intended to steal her heart if he had to kiss her all night, every night for the rest of their lives. He pulled back and asked again, "Tell me, tell me you love me."

"But..." another kiss stopped her words. Kuon pulled her from her seat on the bed and onto his lap. His right arm supported her weight as she leaned back, his left moved to her hips over her leather shorts and glided down her thigh. If you were to ask Kyoko what her reaction would be, she would have said recoil but instead her thigh moved towards his hand, encouraging him to touch more, to continue this wonderful feeling. He pulled back again leaving her panting for air. His left hand stayed at her knee, his thumb rubbing her soft skin repeatedly.

"I can keep kissing you all night," he told her as a threat and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Then why would I ever say it?" she teased. Her mind was so far gone, melting out of her ears that her will gave up sometime during the second kiss.

Kuon smiled happily and then he turned on that lustful face of his. "I promise to do more if you tell me," he offered making her blush and squirm in his arms.

"I can't," she whispered. "I'm not, for that sort of thing..." she mumbled with that flushed innocent face of hers. Kuon wanted to laugh. THAT was what she was trying to stop him from doing. It wasn't that she couldn't say I love you. _Horny old bastard, _he cursed himself.

"I'll wait, I'll wait forever for you, if you tell me those three words again," he said sincerely.

Kyoko closed her eyes. Her mind and heart racing through so many emotions: love, lust, hurt, fear, anticipation, desire, and happiness. It was all so confusing that she stayed silent for too long. He leaned down again and kissed her thoughts away. That's why she couldn't stand his kisses, they made her lose her mind, her will and all reason left her as he kissed her fervently. Nothing made more sense then this, this feeling of his lips, his arms around her, his body so close to hers. Why would she ever question it? Why would she ever want to do anything else but keep this going forever?

As soon as his mouth left hers, she said it, "I love you." He smiled and kissed her again. And once again, when he gave her a second to breath, she repeated, "I love you, Kuon."


	38. Epilogue

Epilogue

The night was spent with so many kisses and words of love and sounds of laughter. They were together, at long last. With both of the films done, they spent most of the next day together. And what was their first date, but a promise that he had to fulfill.

To sing.

It took Kyoko singing four songs before he picked up the microphone. He spent about an hour looking through the song book for something he was willing to sing. After everything he picked an English love song.

Kuon was... horrible. It was true, he couldn't sing a single note, and Kyoko loved him for trying. She promised that she would never make him sing again.

Three months later, Love's Rival premiered, and it was massive! The film released sooner than Tragic Marker because of how much less CG was required for it. They went down the red carpet together, smiling arm in arm. Thousand of questions erupted from the press and a single answer almost caused a riot.

"Are you two together, now?" Some random reporter screamed out.

Ren smiled down at Kyoko and replied, "Yes." While the press did ask millions of new questions, they would have been out there all night if they allowed it. They answered the one and headed to their seats, only to be stopped by someone as soon as they were in the clear.

"Congratulations," Murasame Taira stepped up in front of them in a stylish black suit. Both instantly recognized him, of course, but they weren't suppose to know him. They smiled politely to him, and Kyoko bowed.

"Thank you," she said with a gentle voice and a sweet smile and started to move forward. He took a step to the side and watched them. They were almost home free when Murasame spoke again.

"It really was you, wasn't it, Tsuruga-san?" he asked out astonished. He had the same height and build. It had to be him.

Ren turned towards him and graced him with a gentleman's smile. "To what are you referring to?" he asked curiously.

Murasame glared at him suspiciously. "You know what I'm talking about. That's Kyoko," he pointed at her, "That's Sets.."

"Excuse me," Ren cut in with a gentleman's smile. "I think it would be best if you went to your seat and simply forget any type of theories in your head." Ren took a small threatening step to the slightly shorter man and whispered darkly, "I preferred it when you knew nothing, remember?" He gave him a little Cain like smirk and proceeded to escort Kyoko to their seats. Kyoko looked back and forth between the two men fearful.

"Ren, was it okay to do that?" she whispered nervously.

"I KNEW IT!" Murasame yelled out behind them, making Kyoko jump.

Ren laughed. "Probably not, but the film is over and people will find out sooner or later anyway. I don't think he will tell anyone." He didn't. Though it did give Murasame a much deeper respect for the two who played the Heel siblings.

Love's Rival was an instant success. It was the expected big hit of the summer with the grand Tsuruga Ren playing the shy, handsome love interest/rival against the charismatic and surprising kind lead played by Kyoko. The critics were weary of the casting choices. They showed dozens of her clips as Mio and determined the film to badly casted. They stated that she was too dark and not pretty enough to stand side by side to Tsuruga Ren. Even if they did praise her acting as Mio, they thought someone prettier with less talent would have been the better choice for a light hearted romantic.

Then Natsu finally appeared on Box 'R'. The critics did make a reprieve on one thing. Kyoko could do sexy, that perhaps there was something more to the package then previously stated. Still, she played another bad girl. Why would the audience accept a Japan's most wanted man falling in love with a bad girl, especially when Tsuruga was playing a introverted but determined rival? They thought the relationship would become one of master and servant.

The day after it's premier, no one could phantom the thought of anyone else playing Aika.

"She's gorgeous, fun, and you couldn't help but fall in love with her."

"The passion between the two leads was insanely hot. I felt like I was intruding every time they kissed."

"Tsuruga and Kyoko a dynamite duo in Love's Rival. No one could Rival the battles and love between the two."

"Kyoko, the next Co-Star Killer? Has The Tsuruga Ren been caught by the rising starlette?"

Oh that headline came shortly after the premiere. With the unexpected announcement on the red carpet, a massive outcry was sounded for a real interview. They wanted to hear more than a single word about the sudden relationship. It was long overdue for an announcement.

They were booked on a talk show, the most popular one they could find, The Minori Show. The woman was an icon when it came to the entertainment industry with music, arts and film, so it was expected that she would be ruthless.

"To get right to the point, you two are dating?" Minori asked rather rudely, but everyone was rather vehement to find out.

Both Kyoko and Ren smiled politely, and Ren answered, "Yes. Since the end of Love's Rival, we've been seeing each other exclusively."

"So then you fell in love while your characters fell in love?" She asked, her voice already voicing how very cliché it was. Any actors that date after doing a romance was going to crash and burn in their relationship.

Ren again answered, "No actually. I was in love with her when we did Dark Moon together."

"You fell in love with Mio?" Minori asked shocked making Ren laugh softly.

"I fell in love with Kyoko," he said sincerely.

"Was it the same for you, Kyoko?" Minori turned her meat hooks onto the less experienced girl.

"Um, sort of," Kyoko admitted with a blush. "It was difficult for me to come to terms with my feelings for him. It wasn't until the end of Love's Rival that I finally gave in to his charming ways." She turned to look up at him with a knowing smile.

"Was that because you were dating Ishibashi Hikaru while filming Love's Rival?" Minori let out her biggest find of the young starlette. They had interviewed almost everyone on the set of Love's Rival and found out that Kyoko was playing the field while on set. They spoke about Ren driving and having lunch with her during their breaks, then suddenly another man came into the picture. They all defended the young girl clearly stating that Kyoko claimed Hikaru to be her boyfriend, never Ren. While they all liked Ishibashi, they wondered why she wasn't with Ren when he was so smitten by her.

Minori could see the young girl start to sweat from the question but the barest of hugs from the man next to her made her prey got stronger.

"Yes," Kyoko admitted. "I didn't have much experience with love or dating. Hikaru was my first real relationship, and I will never forget that; however, things between us were never right, and we agreed to go our separate ways romantically. I am thankful that we are still friends and talk frequently."

"Really? Then why did you quit the show that you worked with him on? Rumors have it that he was heartbroken after the breakup," Minori continued relentlessly. Kyoko flashed her a dazzling smile and placed her hand on Ren's knee for a quick pat.

"My agency felt that it was no longer best for me to play a mascot in a variety show," Kyoko explained. "I do so regret it though. It was my first acting job, and I loved playing Bo. All the improv and animation I had to perform while inside of a suit made the role challenging and fun. Not to mention, I became friends with the Bridge Rock hosts."

"And the rumors of your break up? Was he heartbroken that you left him for Tsuruga Ren?"

Kyoko continued to smile though was finding it more and more difficult as the interview went on. Not only because of Minori's excruciating accurate accounts of her relationship with Hikaru but also because of the dark, soul sucking anger that Kuon was radiating beside her. Oh, one look at him and everyone saw Ren was smiling patiently, completely unaffected by the lines of questions being thrown to his girlfriend. It was like he didn't have a care in the world, or had complete utter faith in Kyoko to handle this situation.

He did have faith, for they trained for this the moment they announced who was going to interview them. He drilled her mercilessly with off the wall, heart wrenching, rude and sadistic questions about anything and everything. From her time in LoveMe, her past with Sho, their sex life - or in this case the lack of it, and her relationship with Hikaru. He taught her out to artfully answer a question to the best of her ability. Kyoko still had to think about certain things, but she was better than when she first started.

"I won't lie, there was some difficult times between us when we parted. There are hard feelings at the end of any relationship. We both needed some time apart before we could summon up the courage to speak to each other again. Thankfully, our friendship was strong enough to overcome our attempt of seeing if there was anything more between us," Kyoko replied with confidence, an unwavering smile and never diverted her eyes from the host.

Minori couldn't question it anymore. She had nothing more to go off of. The three Ishibashi men wouldn't speak to her about it other than they dated and broke up mutually. The heartbreak was from the crew of Kimagura Rock, but none of them had the personal relationship with Kyoko or Hikaru to know what really happened. What Kyoko stated, they dated, broke up, didn't speak for a little while and now are friends, all of that was what she found out from everyone else. _Well shit. _Minori thought and moved on. After that her questions were almost civil, and the two newest and hottest couple in Japan left without any lingering scars.

Everything that Kyoko said about Hikaru was true. Well partial truths that couldn't be excused. Their friendship was still on watery ground, more so now that she had to quit being Bo. That was full truth. Sawara, Takarada and Kuon all agreed that doing Bo would do nothing but hinder her career. Sawara told her he would take care of it and find a replacement, but Kyoko wanted to tell them herself.

On her last show, she knocked at the door of the Ishibashi wait room and bowed. They greeted her politely, but it was never as warm as it was before. She wanted to tell them her news first and foremost.

"I'm quitting Bo," she told them bluntly. She gave them a brave smile with teary eyes. She explained her reasoning and her wish that she could stay with them. Yuusei was the first to speak.

"It was expected. I was surprised you didn't leave after doing Mio," he said softly.

"It's going to suck trying to find a good replacement," Shin'ichi said with a scowl. "No one has ever done Bo the way you did. Everyone knew when you weren't playing him."

"I'm sorry," Kyoko said again with a thick voice. Yuusei and Shin'ichi both stood up and walked to her.

"Keep in touch, Kyoko-chan," Yuusei said with a smile.

"Even though you broke leader's heart.. Oof!" Yuusei jammed his elbow into Shin'ichi's gut for his callous words. "As I was saying," Shin'ichi said with a glare, "I miss us all hanging out together," he said sincerely, and then leaned in and hugged her. "We should do it again sometime, when you aren't so busy."

No words could express how very happy Kyoko was to hear that. She nodded quickly as the two men left leaving her alone with Hikaru. He was sitting on the couch with his back to her, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands clasp lightly together. She looked at him as he stared off at nothing, waiting for the privacy he asked for.

"Are you doing this because of us?" He asked the air in front of him, instead of turning around to look at her.

She shook her head even though he couldn't see it. "No, what I said was true. Everyone thought it was best for me to quit. Having a dedicated time slot taken every week would be detrimental for future roles," she said it as if she was quoting someone making Hikaru nod. If she was lying, then she would hesitate more.

"They're right," he agreed softly. Time ticked by as silence filled the room. Kyoko was about to speak up when he abruptly spoke up. "Are you happy with him?"

Kyoko quickly closed her mouth and looked down sadly. Was she allowed to be happy with another man? Could she really tell her ex-boyfriend that she was happier without him? While her mind was ripped apart with her guilt, Hikaru stood up and quietly stepped up to her. She saw his hand reach up and cup her face.

"If you're not, if he does anything to make you angry or sad..."

Kyoko shook her head. She didn't want to hear this. Didn't want to know that he still loved her or what he would for her. She shook head and cupped the hand that was at her cheek.

"I am," she said softly. "I'm happy."

Hikaru nodded and slipped his hand from her face. "Good," he whispered as he kept nodding. "Good," he repeated. "So when is it?"

She frowned confused. "When is what?"

"The wedding? I need to find a date, because there is no way in hell I'm going to my friend's wedding without a bombshell of a date," he joked making her laugh. She assured him that it was a LONG, LONG way off. They were talking things slow, enjoying their time together as boyfriend and girlfriend and working towards their goals.

A month later, Tragic Marker came out sending out questions as to who the British actor Cain Heel was. His background, filmography and biography, all a huge mystery. Kuon was getting a kick out of the whole thing.

Kyoko sat down next to him on his couch as they watched Entertainment Tonight. They showed scenes of the top grossing film of the weekend and all asked who BJ was. The actor was bone chilling and brilliant. They even went as far as to ask Director Konoe if he hired a real serial killer for the film. He assured everyone that he was a simple actor, one of the best there is.

"One of the best," Kyoko repeated. "Yet, no one will know it was you who played him. When are they going to release that information?"

"It's more fun this way," Kuon said. "Look at how they are all digging around trying to find Cain. It's hilarious."

"Murasame-san knew. I'm still surprised that he didn't tell everyone," she stated.

"Eh, he had no real proof. Besides, he isn't the brightest bulb in the house," Kuon said casually making Kyoko smack him playfully.

"That's mean. How could you say that about someone?" she said flabbergasted.

Kuon laughed. "Easy. You would think a person would back off when someone bigger and scarier than him tells him to fuck off from his girlfriend."

"I was your sister, not your girlfriend," she clarified with a little blush. Kuon tightened the arm that was around her shoulder and then twisted in his seat to lean down and whisper in her ear.

"I would have preferred if you were my girlfriend, then I could have done this," his lips pressed a little kiss on her ear lobe making her smile, "and this," he placed his hand on her bare knee and squeezed it gently making her laugh softly, "and I would have a ton of these," he finished with a stolen kiss.

Her lips melted with his. His kisses still making her feel light headed and her body overheated. She felt the hand at her knee slide across her silky skin under her skirt. She whimpered into his mouth, but he didn't stop. His fingertips reached her panties and slipped underneath the elastic to slide his whole hand up and caress her hip. Kyoko's eyes burst open and broke the kiss as she tried to move back crawling onto the couch.

Kuon followed her, crawling onto the couch as his lips started kissing down her neck and shoulders. His hand never explored more than her bare hip. He could have moved it back to cup her butt, or even dared to venture forward to the hidden valley of her sex, but he didn't neither. He wanted to touch her, touch her intimately but not enough to scare her away. She found herself laying on the couch with Kuon on top of her, kissing her skin. Her right knee was bent up into the air next to his waist. It was the same side as his hand exploring under her unmentionables. Meanwhile, her left was pinned straight underneath him.

"Kuon," she whispered in a throaty voice making him moan. His hand moved down her thigh towards her knee easing the tension within her. She slid her leg down, and Kuon slid his finger tips along her leg as she did so, sending goosebumps all across her skin. When her leg was straight beside his, he finished the course, going all the way up to the high cut of her panties, and then pulled the fabric of her skirt down, covering her back up.

Kyoko smiled and then gasped as his naughty left hand came up and squeezed her breast over her top. He was a real enigma, constantly contradicting himself. Well, he made no sense in Kyoko's mind. He stretches her limits by doing things like slipping under her panties and then comes back with honoring her chastity by pulling her skirt back down only to take it back by groping and...

"AH!" Kyoko screamed as his mouth clamped over her left breast while his hand massaged her right. Both actions done over her blouse. His right hand joined in on the fun, molding her breast, blouse, bra and all to perk into his mouth. How was it that she could feel his tongue through all those layers of cloth. She moaned as he teased her hardened nipples, his tongue running round and round the soaked cloth between them, while his thumb rubbed her right, back and forth, flicking it up and down driving her mad. She jerked her hips against him when he bit down and let her tortured peaks go.

His mouth moved down, kissing her shirt over her stomach until he hit the edge. Kuon nuzzled his nose between the end of her blouse and the start of her skirt and licked her skin right below her belly button. Of course with that, he revealed more of her skin which he couldn't let go untouched. He licked and nipped her skin until he revealed her whole stomach. He pulled back and pulled down her blouse letting his hands slowly run from her shoulders down over her breast and stomach to smooth out the blouse.

Kyoko was beyond gone, letting him do what he wanted, because it felt oh so good, and she trusted him. Trusted him to stop when he knew she was uncomfortable, and he somehow always know when to stop. She felt him shift on the couch, the heat of his body coming near her and then she yelped as he kissed the mound of her sex over her skirt. She looked down at him and saw him smirking wickedly up at her, making her blush and hide behind her hands. Kuon laughed softly and crawled up. He pushed her hands away and leaned down to kiss her again. They were playing, playing until she was ready, testing and fulfilling his desires until it finally happens.

There was no hurry. They will make love for each star in the sky, kiss for every grain of sand on the beach and love each other with the same intensity as the sun. He promised her forever, and forever it will be.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The End! **

**I really hope you all enjoyed reading this. It took several months of lost and found inspiration to write this. I'm happy it's finally done. Thank you everyone for reading and again thanks to all those wonderful reviews. I hope to see you all again on my next crazy idea.**


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